My Shattered Dreams
by TwiworldKR
Summary: This is the sequel to "A world for you and me". What happens when Ana leaves Christian after she finds out about Jess being pregnant? What will it take Christian to get her back? Follow their story as the drama unfolds.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note: Hello, everybody! This is the sequel to "A world for you and me", so you might want to check that one first. **

**I am happy to see that so many of you liked my story and requested the sequel. I hope you will like this one as much as the first.**

**Since I am currently working on it, I cannot post it as often as I did with the first one, which was already complete by the time I began posting it. It takes me a lot of time to work on each chapter because I want it to be good, so please be patient if I don't update so often.**

**Also, just to be clear, the prologue and first part of the sequel will be told from Christian's perspective.  
**

**Emily**

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PROLOGUE

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THE SMIRK ON MY face is hard to wipe off as I sit at my desk and admire the diamond engagement ring in my palm. Its beauty matches hers and there's nothing that I want more than making her my wife. Her lovely, wide smile, glowing innocent eyes and soft, sensual lips are all I can see while I stare blankly at the sparkling object.

"You're asking her to marry you?"

I twitch in my seat, the sound of her voice abruptly pulling me out of my reverie. My first instinct is to hide the ring in a drawer, but it is too late anyway. My eyes focus on her, trying to guess her plans, upset that once more she has managed to get to me.

"What the hell are you doing here, Jess? Who let you in? And don't you know how to knock?" I frown, pressing a button on my desk phone to reach Lauren and scold her for not warning me of her presence.

"Don't bother... Lauren is not at her desk," she replies as she gracefully makes her way toward my desk and takes the seat in front of me, without being asked to do so.

"What do you want?" I ask and stand up exasperated, pounding my hands on the desk and leaning forward for emphasis, my brows creased to express my frustration.

"Wow, you sure look happy to see me!" She rolls her eyes, which only manages to irritate me more.

"What do you expect after everything you did?" I bark. "I'm sick and tired of you, Jess! I thought I was clear enough when I told you to stay away and leave me alone!"

"You can't marry her!" She snarls.

"Because you say so?" I spit, infuriated with her audacity.

"Christian, I'm pregnant!" She snaps at me.

My heart clenches in my chest, a painful jolt ripping through me and making me feel like I have just been punched in my stomach. I gape at her in disbelief, horrified by her words, desperately wishing it was just a lie. I fall back on my seat as my knees fail me, but a noise outside my office distracts me and my eyes widen when I notice that the door is slightly opened. Shaking with anger, I stride over to it and peak outside. There's nobody on the hallway, so I close the door and return to her.

"You! What the hell did you do to me that night?" I grab her arm and pull her up, shaking her unable to control myself.

"Christian, stop it! You're hurting me! My baby!" She squeals and I instantly step away from her, disgusted. "I was drunk and woke up in bed with you! I don't remember anything either!"

"You're lying! What do you want from me? You're ruining my life!" I accuse her, a lump forming in my throat, making it harder for me to breathe.

She sniffs, clutching her belly frightened.

"How far along are you?" I shudder, confused.

"A couple of months," she mumbles, eyeing me cautiously.

I frown alarmed, knowing that it's been two months since the incident at my apartment. "Why are you telling me this? You think it's mine? I don't remember touching you!" I growl outraged and step closer to her menacingly.

She cowers back into her seat while I hover over her, spitting fire. "I haven't slept with anyone since," her voice is barely audible, intimidated by me.

"You expect me to believe that? You are full of lies and you cause nothing but trouble! Was this your plan? To ruin me? Tell me!" I yell, causing her to wince. I straighten my back when I remember having a drink while I desperately tried to convince her not to do anything stupid that night. My eyes lock on her and she shudders when she realizes how much I despise her. "Did you put something in my drink? What the fuck did you do?" I mumble low, hardly containing myself from getting my hands into her hair and teach her never to mess with me again.

"No," she shakes her head uncontrollably. "I'd never... Please believe me," she begs, falling on her knees before me.

"I don't get drunk and lose my mind after one drink! You drugged me to sleep with you? I would have never touched you otherwise! And you know that! Have you any idea how much I hate you right now? If that kid turns out to be mine after we do the test, I'll take care of it, but you... You disgust me... If this was your great plan to get me back, you lost. I'm never coming back to you!" I yell outraged. "Now get the hell out of my face!"

Shaking and sobbing she manages to stand up. Before I know it she is out of my office and I'm left disconcerted and crushed.

My heart starts hammering in my chest as I approach the large glass wall and stare at the world outside. "Ana..." I whisper, silent tears rolling down my cheeks.


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's note: I am pleased to see that so many of you returned to read the sequel too. :) Hope you will like it._

_In this sequel you will find all the answers to your questions, you just need to be patient. There's a reason and an explanation for everything._

_I will try to update as often as possible. It all depends on how fast I manage to write it._

_Enjoy! :)_

* * *

**PART 1**

_Christian's POV_

* * *

**CHAPTER ONE**

* * *

MY DEEPEST FEARS AND most horrible nightmares unfold before my eyes as I come to the realization that she is gone. After thoroughly searching the entire apartment in my desperate attempt to find her, I finally notice the small note she had left on my pillow. Shaking in my shoes I pick it up frightened about discovering what's written on it.

_You killed me today... I will never forget the look on your face when she told you about the pregnancy. You assured me that nothing had happened that night, yet your reactions to the news said something else. I trusted you more than anyone in the world and there's nothing that I wouldn't have done for you! You promised... you promised you would never hurt me. Yet my heart is broken because of the spear you've thrust in it. I don't think I can recover from this. I couldn't stay... I couldn't stay to listen to your lies and explanations. Your face said it all, Christian! You're just like all the other jerks I've had in my life. It seems to me that I was not made to be loved. I'm sick and tired of men... repulsed even... Where was the honesty you kept preaching about? I'm disappointed and hurt. After all we've been through together... I expected more from you. Guess I was wrong... Please don't look for me. Leave me alone with my sorrow. Oh, and... Congratulations! Hope you make a good father! After all... that child is innocent. Not its fault to have such horrible parents. _

_Broken Ana..._

Tears fall ceaselessly down my cheeks while I read the note over and over again on the verge of having a panic attack. My breathing quickness and I begin to hyperventilate. Devastated by my loss, I crumble lifeless to the floor, calling her name for what seems like forever.

When I come to my senses, I get up and dial her number, but her phone is dead and I can't reach her. "Baby, where are you?" I sniff, startled. Her mother doesn't pick up and neither does Ray. Pacing up and down my room like a caged lion, I call Alex to help me locate her.

"Christian?" He answers hoarsely. I blink perplexed, trying not to imagine what he might be doing. Of course, it's the afternoon and I gave him the rest of the day off.

"Alex! Ana's gone! She left! Please come help me," I beg, unable to fight the pain in my voice.

"What do you mean she left?" He asks puzzled.

I hang up and throw myself on the bed, too sad and shaken to explain.

Wide-eyed, with messy hair and a just rolled out of bed look, Alex bursts into my bedroom just a few minutes later. He is by my side in an instant, gaping at me worried.

"What the hell happened? Speak!" He demands, shaking me out of my trance.

"Jess is pregnant," I barely whisper, shuddering at the thought of being the father of her child.

"So?" He mumbles confused. It takes a moment for my words to register on his brain. "Wait, what? Please don't tell me it's yours!" He spits horrified.

"I don't know! I don't remember touching the bitch! She fucking played me! She must have spilled something in my drink, or else I would have never slept with her!"

"Are you sure you slept with her?" He grunts, fisting his hands in his hair.

"No! I know nothing! The last thing I recall is having a drink and trying to talk her out of her stupid suicidal ideas! Then I woke up in the morning naked, with her by my side. She is absolutely sure that we had sex and now she claims to have not slept with anyone else since then and that the baby is mine. I don't believe her... I don't believe a word coming out of her filthy mouth! This must be one of her scams to push Ana away from me and she fucking succeeded!" I feel like howling, the pain in my chest becoming more and more unbearable with every passing minute.

"You told Ana?" He asks bewildered.

I cannot stop my tears from falling at the sound of her name and Alex's expression changes when he sees me like that. He pats my shoulder as he attempts to calm me, but nothing can sooth me now that my angel is gone. I pass him her note and he scans it quickly, anger clearly visible on his face.

"Stupid Jess came over at my office to give me this "wonderful" news. Ana must have been there too since she heard everything. She didn't even give me the chance to explain. She just left," I sob, rocking back and forth of the edge of my bed, desperate to calm my nerves.

"Christian... She thinks that you lied to her. You should have told her everything that you remember from that night. I knew that I shouldn't have left you alone with her!" He snaps, moving around in circles, agitating me more.

"I was afraid... to tell her... There's nothing that I feared more than losing her. I knew it was wrong, but I just couldn't tell her. I assured her that nothing had happened, even though I wasn't sure of it. It would have killed her to hear that. It doesn't matter that I was dragged into this mess unwillingly. It would have still crushed her to know that something might have happened while she was gone."

"I still believe that you should have been more honest with her. Maybe she'd still be here now if she knew the truth. She doesn't know that Jess trapped you. She most likely believes that you slept with her willingly. Christian, you're a smart guy! How the fuck could you allow all this to happen?" He admonishes me, upset.

"Please don't scold me. Not you too..." I complain, devastated. "Find her... Bring her back to me. She needs to listen to what I've got to say before she makes her decision," I whine.

"Have you called her?"

"I tried, but her phone is dead. Her parents don't answer to my calls either. She probably told them," I shiver, worried about Ray's reaction to the news.

"Let's go to her parents' house. She must be there..." he suggests. "Come on, you! Pull yourself together," he prompts, yanking me off the bed and having me follow him downstairs.

WE ARRIVE AT HER family's home, but no matter how much we insist, nobody answers. The gates stay closed and my despair intensifies as we get no response.

"Where could they possibly be? It's almost 10 p.m. Ana!" I call, desperately kicking the gate.

"Hey..." Alex mumbles and pulls me back. "We'll find her. Let me take you back home before I go and look for her."

"No... I can't go there. That's not my home anymore. It's hell on earth," I sniff, more tears pooling in my eyes.

"I hate seeing you like this, bro'. I promise I will do my best to find her, but I can't do that with you looking like a dead man walking. You distract me," he mumbles, helping me back to the car.

"I am dead, Alex! I've never felt more pain in my life. I need my baby back!" I cry, helpless.

He sighs heavily and drives away.

I hide my face in my hands and weep, wondering why everything had to happen now that I finally found my happiness and felt ready to get married and have my own family with the woman I so much adore.

The cars stops and I shudder when I lift my gaze and see where we're at. "Alex! Why the hell did you bring me here? Are you crazy? I don't want my parents to see me like this," I complain, horrified.

"You said you didn't want to go back to your apartment. And I need to leave you somewhere safe where you won't be able to do anything stupid," he replies worried.

"Dude, come on! I am not going to jump off a cliff! Not until she hears me out, anyway..." my voice is small, too shaken to realize what I'm saying. The unexpected tap that he gives me on the back of my head dissipates the dark thoughts clouding my mind.

"Don't you even think about it!" He warns me furious. "I am not going to let you lose yourself because of this! She is somewhere out there suffering just like you are. I will not stop until I bring you too back together. Love like yours is hard to find and I'll do everything in my power to reunite you two and sort this mess out. But you must promise me one thing... Promise me you won't do anything reckless! She will hear you out once we find her. I'm sure she will. She loves you so much. This is all your fault for not telling her everything! So you must fix this before it's too late! Don't waste your time thinking about ways of destroying yourself. She'd be devastated, more than she already is, if anything bad happened to you. Promise me!" He insists.

"I promise," I mumble, staring at him with big, worried eyes, amazed to discover once more how much he cares about me.

"Don't look at me like that," he shifts uncomfortably in his seat. "And don't you ever say stuff like that to me," he mumbles, failing at hiding the pain in his voice. "You're the best friend I ever had. You're my little brother and I don't want to lose you," he steps out of the car before things get too emotional, and walks over to open my door.

Dumbstruck, I get out and he gently nudges me toward the front door. "Go on... I'll call you as soon as I find anything."

I sigh. "What do I say to them? They'll freak out and probably want to kill me," I worry.

"Tell them the truth! No more lies, Christian. They need to know what's going on. No matter what you do, they'll still find out eventually and it's better to hear it from you. Also, maybe they could get in touch with her parents and find out where she is," he suggests.

"Oh, you're right!" I blink. He gives me a reassuring nod before he returns to the car, and I step inside the house reluctantly. "Mom? Dad?" I call, looking for them. I find mom sleeping on the living room couch with the TV on and approach her silently. "Mom..." I murmur, kneeling.

Her eyes flutter open when I touch her hair and winces when she finds me so close to her. "Christian? Son, what's going on?" She asks alarmed, shifting to a sitting position.

"Oh, Mom..." I sniff, leaning my head on her knees.

"Son, you're scaring me!" She whines, running her soft fingers through my hair.

"I lost her, Mom... I lost my Ana," I succumb to my pain, no longer able to suppress it anymore.

She shudders when she hears me, her hand fisting in my hair. "What have you done to her?" She asks bemused and I pull away to look at her.

Worried about her reaction, I begin to tell her everything, starting with that dreadful night when Jess showed up at my apartment and finishing with her telling me about the pregnancy.

"How could you?" She snaps, sitting up and staring down at me with her hands on her hips, pinning me to the ground with her anger. "How could you let that slime, good for nothing woman back into your apartment? Haven't I warned you enough about her? I knew she'd not give up until she got what she wanted!" She fumes, astonished by the news.

"Mother, please stop yelling at me," I plead. "What do you want me to say? That you were right? Fine! I admit! You were right all along, but I was too naïve and stupid to see it. I just didn't want to believe that the woman with whom I've spent four years of my life is so vicious and evil. Allowing her into my apartment is definitely the stupidest thing I've done lately and I regret it more than anything. I pray to God that the child is not mine. I don't want anything to do with that woman or be tied to her in any way," I grumble.

"That stupid brat can't even take care of herself, let alone a child! How the hell is it possible not to remember what you did that night?" She frowns, puzzled.

"I've thought of that ever since, but I was never able to explain it. I had one drink. One! She was driving me insane, threatening me that she'd commit suicide if I didn't give her another chance. She was drunk and miserable and annoying. I felt the need for some scotch so I poured myself a glass. Everything else that followed is a mystery to me. Maybe she drugged me. I don't know! That canny woman knew exactly what she was doing. I'm starting to doubt she was even drunk at all!"

"This is horrible! Horrible!" She barks, spitting fire in all directions. "If I were you, I would have thrown her to the loony bin or called for a shrink, but never in a million years bring the enemy inside my house, the space that I share with my other half so she could fool around in it. I thought you were smarter than this!"

"Mom, please..." I mumble, feeling like my head is about to explode.

She sits down again, eyeing me worriedly. "How did Ana find out about this?"

"I think she heard... when Jess told me. She ran away instead of walking in and talking to me about it. She possibly thinks that I've been cheating on her all along. I don't know what's going on inside her head!" I complain.

"Well, what did you expect? Of course she ran away! She couldn't have walked in to congratulate you! I'm so upset with you right now, Christian. That Jess only caused us troubled and made me angry whenever I saw her. I wish you never met that woman! You'd better fix things with Ana or else I'll be very disappointed of you! Ana is the sweetest, most pleasant girl you've ever been with and I want her to become my daughter-in-law."

"I was going to! I was going to ask her to marry me! I have the ring and everything. This whole pregnancy thing has ruined my plans and now my life! Mom, please help me... Call Carla... She won't answer to my calls and Ana's phone is dead. Alex took me to their place, but no one answered. Now he went looking for her, but I doubt he'd find her," I worry, living my most horrible nightmare.

She sighs but grabs her phone quickly and calls Carla. "Damn it! Her phone is dead too," she blinks perplexed. "Great job, Christian! Now I lost my friend because of you! You had to break her daughter's heart! Now, you may not have done that willingly, but you were still stupid enough to let Jess fool you. The look on her face when she first saw you with Ana in Barbados... Did you really think she'd give up on you that easily? You did this to yourself..." she mumbles with tears in her eyes, which only makes me want to cry too.

"Where's Dad?" I mutter, lost.

"At the hospital... There was an emergency with some patient and he had to go," she replies, wiping her tears off her cheeks. Unexpectedly, she moves next to me on the floor and hugs me, silent tears falling ceaselessly while she holds me. "Oh, Christian... Just when I was finally feeling happy and relieved that Jess was out of your life and that you and Ana got together, all this mess had to happen. You became a much better man thanks to Ana and you looked so happy all the time. This can't be happening!" She whines, making me feel even worse if possible.

"I can't live without her, Mom... I can't," I shiver.

"I can't live without her either! She needs to be a part of this family. I will not accept anyone else, no matter how good she may be," she pauses. "They... Ray and Carla... they did not move back here just because your father and Ray wanted to start a company together. They did it mainly for her. She wasn't well after what her ex did to her, and they knew how much she missed you, so they decided that returning to LA would be helpful for her. Oh the other hand, I was desperate to get Jess off your back. I always suspected her and never liked her. Deep inside I hoped that you and Ana could comfort each other and be more than just friends. The whole trip was meant to bring you two closer and we succeeded in doing so. We knew you'd not be able to escape each other on a yacht. Thankfully, you finally realized that what you and Jess had was nothing compared to what Ana could offer you. And you in turn managed to mend her broken heart. Until now..." she confesses, leaving me staring at her speechless.

I gape at her confused. "You set us up?"

"Son, don't take it that way... We all agreed that you both needed each other. Obviously, we wouldn't have been able to force you to be together. We just hoped that after spending some time in each other's company, you'd never want to split again," she murmurs.

I sigh. "Seeing her again changed me and my life... I never thought I could love anyone so strong and deep and passionate. She was meant to be mine and now I lost her because of my irresponsible actions. This is by far the worst day of my life," I sniff, feeling the urge to kick myself for being stupid enough to end up in such an awkward, undesirable situation.

"If that child turns out to be yours, you'll be tied to Jess and forced to see her often," she worries.

"Don't remind me. I hate her so, so much for doing this to me!" I grit my teeth, consumed by anger and grief. "I don't want kids with anyone else, but Ana! I feel trapped, with no way out. How will I live until that baby is born and we can finally do the test? It's killing me already... If I don't get Ana back, I don't know what's going to happen to me." My voice beaks and I'm startled by the thought of never seeing her again.

We hear the door and jump to our feet when we see dad walking in. He stops and eyes us worriedly, not expecting to see me here at this hour.

"Christian? Are you ok, son?" He asks puzzled, moving closer to us.

"No, Dad... I'm a mess," I mumble, feeling in no mood to explain everything all over again. "I need your help. Can you please call Ray and find out where he is?" I beg.

His eyes widen in surprise. "Why? Is something wrong?" He insists.

"Dad, please... Just do it," I plead, desperate to contact anyone who could help me find her.

His brow creases. "Ray called me a few hours ago to ask me to please take care of the business while he's gone. He and Carla went away for a few days. Now can you please tell me what this is about?" He presses.

My jaw drops, shocked by his answer. "Oh, no! They took her away! They took her away from me again!" I shudder, and I'm forced to sit down as my knees fail me and my head begins to spin.

"What the hell are you talking about?" He asks confused.

I STARE BLANKLY AT the ceiling as I lie on the bed in my old room. After telling dad about the jumble that I got myself into, I could no longer bare to see them giving me accusatory looks. What was supposed to be the best day of my life, turned out to be the worst.

"Perfect timing!" I spit, unable to sleep. Alex hasn't called at all since I informed him about her parents possibly taking her out of LA, and I'm beginning to worry that she does not want to be found by me. None of her friends know where she's at, or they simply don't want to tell me, even though they seem to be clueless of what's going on. _Maybe she didn't tell anyone else about this. _I shift and turn in bed all night, unable to find my peace.

When morning comes I slip out of the house before my parents wake up. I'm too stressed out to have them scold me once again for my mistakes. A cab takes me home, but when I step inside I am hit by an overwhelming feeling of loss and sadness, her absence visible everywhere I look. Even the fish look grumpy in their tank.

"Ana?" I call, but no one answers me. Emotionally distressed I drag myself upstairs and fall flat on my bed, my body failing to obey my commands, as I lie motionless on my stomach.

* * *

"Ana! You're back!" I blink perplexed when I find her lying next to me, her soft fingers gently caressing my hair.

She gives me her coy smile and I wrap my arms around her tight, afraid to lose her once again. Her warmth is like a breath of fresh air, but then she's gone. Her lovely scent is no longer there and I wake up with a start, shouting her name.

"Ana!" I sit up, shaking covered in sweat.

"Shit! Christian, not again!" Alex sighs, hovering by my side. "I heard you calling her, so I came to wake you up," he explains, eyeing me with sadness.

I hide my face in my hands, feeling like I'm about to go insane and I wonder idly how much more pain I can take before finally giving in.

"Christian, please... It's been two weeks. Look at you... Unshaved, you haven't taken a shower in ages, you're not eating properly, refusing to get out of bed and go to work... This is not ok! You can't live like this!" He mumbles worried.

"What makes you think that I still want to live? I don't care about how I look! My life is over! Now go away and leave me alone!" I snap, pissed off for being interrupted and pulled out of the soothing dream that I was having. Dreaming of her almost every night, was the only thing that kept me going and not surrender, but it was no longer enough for me. I needed her badly.

"I'm not giving up on you! And I'm certainly not leaving you alone! My wife is in the kitchen, making you breakfast. You will eat!" He frowns and storms out of my room upset.

Alex and his wife Caroline had practically moved in with me to make sure I wasn't going to do anything stupid. Their presence made me feel trapped, captive in my own house and a prisoner to my dreams where everything was nice and blissful.

"How many cigarettes did you smoke? I think I could cut the smoke with a knife in here," Alex scolds me annoyed and places the tray with food on my lap. "That's it! I am taking you out of here!" He warns me. "You're keeping your friends and parents away and destroying yourself! Christian, wake up, for God's sake! I have people trying to track her down, so don't despair. She's somewhere out there and we'll find her eventually, no matter how long it takes!"

"I'm not going anywhere until you find her!" I frown and take small bites of food just to get him off my back a little. "Don't you dare touch that!" I bark when he approaches the large picture of Ana hanging on the wall.

"It's hurting you... Maybe we should take it down for a while."

"Alex, I'm warning you!" I shout upset.

"Fine, fine, relax!" He puts his hands up in defeat and steps away from it. "Finish your food and take a shower. I'll be right downstairs," he points out and leaves me alone.

I leave half of my food untouched, my eyes locked on her picture, remembering how happy we were on that island. She was right about being scared to leave that place and return to civilization. "Ana..." I whisper teary.

There's no one downstairs when I show up half an hour later to return the tray to the kitchen. "Alex?" I call, but there's no answer. I throw myself on the living room couch, looking around the room, surprised by how unfamiliar everything seems to be. Searching the room, my eyes fall on a bottle of whiskey and suddenly I find myself unable to look away...


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER TWO

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THE TASTE OF ALCOHOL brings solace to my poor self, but it does not help me remember anything from that night, like I had hoped for. Sleep brings release and the hope of a new day, a better day in which Ana would be found and she'd return to me. I allow myself to drift right there on the couch, clutching the glass with one hand and the bottle with the other, eager to reunite with her in my dreams.

"Damn it! Christian!" Alex's angry voice startles me and my eyes spring open, looking around confused to see what's causing the commotion.

I find him staring at me, fuming with anger and giving me the impression that he's about to punch me. I've never seen him so mad before, but looking at him through drunken eyes, he seems quite amusing to me.

"What's so funny?" He spits, yanking the bottle and glass from my hands, and then passes them to a stunned Caroline. Her presence wipes the smirk off my face and I close my eyes again to evade them. "I leave you alone for five minutes to get some groceries and then find you like this?" He sighs. "Christian, what are you doing to yourself? You don't even like alcohol. Why are you drinking? Look at you! You can't even keep your eyes opened! Seriously, you're worse than a toddler. I'm calling your parents!"

"No," I whine, struggling to get to a sitting position, but failing miserably, too dizzy from the alcohol and weak because of the little food I had lately. "I thought... I thought I could remember... but couldn't," I stammer upset.

"Christian... The alcohol is not a solution," Alex mumbles, helping me up. "Caroline, can you please prepare his bathtub?"

"Sure, honey," she replies and rushes upstairs.

"You're going to take a bath, eat properly and stop smoking or drinking. I forbid you!" He warns. "Look... I know you're depressed. I understand what you're going through. Believe me, I do... But what you're doing is just not ok. None of these things will bring her back. She'd be devastated if she saw you right now. You've got to be strong and never lose hope. My men are working nonstop to find her. It is possible that she never left town. They couldn't find her name on any plane. Let's not do anything stupid until we find her, ok?" He asks worried. "Come on, you..." he mumbles when he receives no answer and helps me get back to my room.

Caroline is changing my sheets with the windows opened large to get the smoke out. She shakes her head at me and then exchanges a worried look with Alex. He stops in front of my bathroom and urges me inside.

"Wash yourself. I'll be right here if you need me," he says and I disappear inside.

Reluctantly I remove my clothes and stare at my reflection in the mirror. My eyes nearly pop out of my orbits when I realize how horrible I look. In just two weeks I managed to lose a considerable amount of weight. My firm muscles that not long ago were bulging and strong, now seem sloppy and flabby. Saddened, I get into the bathtub and let the warm, bubbly water calm me. While sitting there, I close my eyes and remember the long, relaxing baths that Ana and I used to share.

"I'm sorry..." I sob, wishing I could have a minute with her to explain and apologize for letting her down.

"Christian..." Alex calls half an hour later. He opens the door slightly and peeks inside. "What are you doing, man? You didn't even wash yourself yet?" He sighs.

"Give me a break..." I complain and turn away from him. "I need to be alone..."

"You can't be alone forever. Lauren is downstairs. She needs to talk to you about your businesses," he informs me.

"I don't care," I reply impassively.

"Yes you care! You've worked so hard to make them work and I'm not gonna let you throw them to the garbage! She needs your help, Christian. You're the boss. She can't make all the important decisions. Come on, man..." he presses.

"Fine!" I snap. "I'll talk to her," I grunt, knowing that it is not fair to subject her to so much pressure at work. After he closes the door I begin to wash myself quickly and when I step out of the bathtub I notice that Caroline had prepared some clean clothes for me. I dry myself and put them on before finally leaving the bathroom. "Where is she?" I ask Alex, rubbing my damp hair with a towel.

"In your library. Are you sober now?"

"Yeah... Stop nagging me," I roll my eyes and make my way downstairs and enter the library.

"Christian! Oh, God!" Lauren exclaims and jumps off her seat, circling my waist with her hands, looking relieved to see me.

I hug her too, taken aback by her sudden display of affection. Her reaction makes me feel rather mortified for keeping my friends away and for worrying them so much.

"You don't look so good," she grumbles when she steps away and gets a better look at me. Tears prick her eyes, making me feel even worse. "Please stop hurting yourself," she sniffs, embracing me again. "We want and need you back. Please, Christian..." she begs worriedly.

"Lauren... Don't cry... Not you too. I'm just not going through a very good moment right now. I can't focus on anything. I don't think I will be able to function well until I find her. Work is simply not a priority for me right now and I'm sorry for leaving you alone with everything. I hope Todd is helping you out. I just can't..."

She pulls me to the couch and we sit down together. "Christian... I'm doing everything I can, but I can't decide for you. I'm just your assistant. When it comes to important decisions regarding the future of the businesses, I'm lost. Todd helps me with the pet salons likes always, but what about the club or the spa? Everybody is asking me what to do whenever something comes up and I'm literally overwhelmed by the whole situation. Please come back to work and pick up the phone when I call you," she pleads, eyeing me with big, hopeful eyes.

I sigh as I cannot find a way out. "I'll try... But I can't promise you anything. I'm in no mood to make decisions on anything, so I probably won't be very useful anyway."

"Yes, you will... I know it's hard for you and it's clearly obvious that you're suffering, but you must not lose yourself. Sometimes I feel like it's all my fault. If I had been at my desk that day, I would have stopped Jess from entering your office and Ana wouldn't have heard her," she whines.

"Hey... No... The fault is mine for not telling Ana all about that night. I was afraid that she wouldn't believe me. I made a mess and now I'm suffering the consequences of my cowardice. I blame myself and no one else for that. The rest was just misfortune," I murmur sad.

"I still feel a little responsible for it," she replies, looking down.

"Don't..."

"Ana loves you, Christian. And you love her. Please don't give up. She couldn't have vanished. And Jess... I don't believe her. That baby can't be yours. I refuse to believe that," she shakes her head. "Not yours!"

"There was a time when I would have given everything for her. Four years of my life... gone down the drain. It's very shocking to me to discover that I've spent so much time with her and never got to know the real her. I never thought she'd be capable of doing this to me after everything I've done for her. She's like a stranger to me now. She's nobody..." I frown.

"I wish you had listened to us when we warned you about her. I guess it happens... when you care so much about someone, you refuse to listen to what others have to say about that person. She had you under her evil spell," she says, caressing my arm to comfort me.

I run my hand through my hair exasperated. "Ana broke that spell. I swear to God that there's nothing that I want more than getting her back."

"You'll get her back, Christian. You're a good man and you deserve to be happy with the woman you love. This is nothing but a bump in the road and I'm sure you'll get over it. You may never know. Maybe she'll come back on her own after a while. Until then, you cannot continue like this. You must eat properly and get back in shape, come to work, do the things you normally did and above all, never lose hope. Don't keep us away. We're your friends and we can help you go through this. Alex is extremely shaken by your behavior. Can't you see how worried he is? The poor man is afraid to go to sleep because of you and what you could do to yourself. Please come back to us," she murmurs, taking my hand in hers.

"I simply don't know what to do. Her absence is so... excruciatingly painful... I can't deal with it," I look away, struggling to hold back the tears. "No knowing hurts so bad..." I whisper hoarsely.

She kisses my cheek and we sit there in silence for a while before we begin to discuss business.

CAROLINE SERVES ME SOME food before she and Alex join me at the table to eat together. The lump in my throat that has formed when Ana left me still makes it hard for me to swallow my food and my appetite is nowhere to be found.

"Take your time, but eat everything. You need to get your strength back," Caroline says, watching me intently. For whatever reason her presence intimidates me and I feel compelled to obey her.

Somehow I manage to finish everything on my plate and she gives me a broad smile before bringing me a large fruit milkshake.

"Here you go. Freshly made and full of vitamins to revitalize your body. Go on..."

"Thank you," I mumble and take a sip. It tastes good, so I drink half of it before putting it back on the table.

"How was your talk with Lauren?" Alex asks.

"Good... I promised her I'd try to help with work."

"That's great! We need to get you out of here. It's been two weeks since you haven't stepped outside. No wonder you are going crazy. How about we all go to the club tonight and hang out?" He suggests.

"I'm not in the mood to see so many people," I reply.

"You're never in the mood..." he sighs. "Come on, maybe it will distract you a little bit."

"Oh, fine..." I give in and go back to my room with my milkshake. Once there I throw myself on the bed and stare blankly at the picture of her on the wall for a while. In a corner of the room I spot the guitar she gave me and before I know it I am reaching for it and cuddling on a couch with it on my lap. Sad and broken I begin to play the songs that I played for her, remembering her beautiful, angelic face while she listened to me. I feel her so close to me when I sing, that I just can't stop. Overwhelmed by my thoughts and feelings I grab a pen and a piece of paper and begin to write words, sentences and transform them into lyrics.

"That was brilliant," Alex says, standing by the door.

I shiver when I hear him and lift my gaze, surprised to find him there gaping at me. I was so concentrated on my music that I didn't even hear him come.

"Don't stop. You're..." he blinks, struggling to find his words.

I cower on the couch and put the guitar away, then hide the paper under my t-shirt.

"No, don't... Please continue. It was so nice hearing you," he confesses, moving closer and taking a seat on my bed.

"I can only do it when I'm alone," I mumble, a little embarrassed and vulnerable.

"That's a shame, don't you think? You're so talented and yet unwilling to share your talent with the world. Do you know how many people would do anything to be as good as you? You should sing if this is what brings you peace and calms you. If Ana heard you now..." he says and walks out the door.

I stare at the guitar for a moment and then I pick it up again. I hold it dearly to my chest before I begin to sing again. "Go away, Alex..." I mumble when I notice the door slightly opened.

"Ok, fine..." he sighs and closes the door before going away.

By the time we're supposed to go to the club my song is finished and I put it away in a drawer where no one would find it. Then I step into the dressing, trying not to look at the empty shelves where her clothes used to be. It's depressing for me to be in there, so I quickly choose a pair of blue jeans, a white shirt and a blue baseball cap and storm out of there. When I'm done dressing I gaze at my reflection in the mirror and find a changed man, looking ten years older than two weeks ago. My green eyes look rather red from all the crying and my unshaved face gives me a grubby appearance, totally not the Christian that I used to be.

Rage courses through me all of a sudden when I finally realize the state that I'm in because of the women in my life. One of them deliberately drugged me to make me sleep with her and the other one left without giving me the chance to explain. I frown at myself, upset for allowing them to take me for a fool. Overpowered by anger I stride downstairs and find Alex and Caroline ready to go.

"Oh, good, you're here," Alex says.

I say nothing in return and keep walking toward the elevator. "I want to drive," I say when we reach the cars.

"You don't seem to be in a good state for driving," Alex says, eyeing me cautiously.

I roll my eyes at him and get in the back of his Range Rover, not in the mood to argue with him.

He opens the door in the front for his wife and then gets in too and drives away.

Seeing them holding hands at each stop is unbearable to me and it only makes my anger grow bigger. _How the fuck could I let this happen to me? Am I really that big of an idiot? _I feel like kicking myself hard for the misery I'm in.

THE CLUB IS CHOCKFULL of people when we arrive and I pull my cap low and look down to avoid being recognized, letting Alex guide me to the VIP lounge. Inside we find Tom and Hailey kissing nonchalantly, while Lauren is sitting on Todd's lap. I blink confused when I see them and they all jump to their feet when they notice me.

"Christian!" Hailey exclaims, clinging to my neck an instant later. "You came! We missed you so much!" She complains, kissing my cheeks. "I'm so glad that Alex finally managed to get you out of the house..." she murmurs.

Tom hugs me briefly, patting my back. "You look horrible, bro'. I want my friend back," he says before letting me go.

"I'm broken! Christian you know is gone, so deal with it," I sigh and throw myself on the couch. "Don't look at me like that. All I want is to be left alone."

"We won't leave you alone, no matter how much you try to push us away. We know you need us," Todd says.

I glance at him and catch him holding Lauren's hand. "Why are you two holding hands?" I ask confused.

"Oh... we... we've been dating for a while," Lauren says, blushing timidly.

"A while? What? Since when?" I insist, surprised to hear that.

"Almost a month now," Todd replies. "Does... does it bother you?"

"No... Why would it bother me? You're both my friends and you're both grownups, so you can do whatever you want. I'm just surprised you never told me."

"I... I didn't think you'd want to hear anything like this. Especially now..." she explains.

I roll my eyes. "I'm glad that everyone around me is happy. I need a drink," I say and call the waitress.

"Christian, let's just hang out," Alex suggests. "No drinking alcohol. You don't need that."

My brow creases. "Don't tell me what I need."

"Dude, stop being so grumpy!" Tom begs.

"I'm sorry, guys. I just don't feel like partying. I have nothing to be happy about and Alex won't stop nagging me! He's been doing that every single day and I can't take it anymore."

"It's because he cares about you," Hailey says. "Christian, you'd do this for any of us if we were in your situation. Please understand that we can't sit and watch how you destroy yourself and everything around you. You're our friend and we can't let you down. You should be happy to have someone who cares for you like Alex does. We left you alone for two weeks and look how you ended up. Give us a chance to lighten your mood until you find her."

"Hailey is right, Christian," Todd says. "The Christian we know would never turn his back on his friends, so don't ask us to turn our backs on you. This is what friends are for. If Ana is the woman you love and want, we'll search the world with you until we find her."

"Thank you," I mumble. "You guys are great friends and I am pleased to have you. Unfortunately, I've lost my appetite for pretty much everything. I need to go to the bathroom," I say and exit the room, leaving them hanging.

Downstairs, I make my way through the crowd and take an empty seat at the bar. "Luc, give me a double scotch, please," I say to the bartender.

"Oh, Christian... Hey... Nice to see you back," he says and hurries to fill me a glass.

I nod and drink it in just a few gulps before asking for another one.

"Wow... Christian Grey," a female voice sounds by my side.

I turn to my right and find a fancy looking brunette scantily clothed beaming at me. _What a slut!_ I force myself not to roll my eyes at her. "Do I know you?"

"No... But you can get to know me, if you want," she bites her lip, her hand tracing over my back.

My first instinct is to shove her away, but then my anger returns and I find myself making my way to my office, pulling her after me. She giggles wolfishly and once we arrive I lock the door and turn to her.

"My, my...isn't this my lucky day?" She grins wickedly, anxiously removing her clothes. "Why are you so sad and tense?" She asks, but I don't respond. "Whatever it is, I promise I can make you forget," she says, approaching me naked, swinging her hips provocatively. She removes my cap and tries to kiss me, but I step back.

"No kissing," I say firmly, looking at her as if she were nothing but an object for physical pleasure.

"Oh, why not?" She asks, brushing her lips across my neck. "I'm a very good kisser," she whispers in my ear before biting my earlobe. Her hands begin to unbutton my shirt, but I stop her once more. "How can we do this with your clothes on?" She objects, puzzled.

I stare at her, but simply cannot bring myself to do it. Images of my beloved Ana hover in front of my eyes, dissipating the dark clouds blocking my brain. My brow creases, mentally scolding myself for what I was about to do.

She moves closer and caresses my hair, clearly wanting more of me.

"Leave," I mumble through gritted teeth, all of a sudden feeling repulsed by her presence.

"What? Why? We've only just started to have fun," she complains.

"Just leave!" I insist.

"What? Oh my God, you're such an asshole, Christian Grey!" She spits and quickly puts her clothes back on before dashing out of my office.

I punch my desk upset and angry with myself. Standing there I try to figure out what I'm going to do next, but my brain decided to shut down and I cannot find an explanation for my behavior, other than my intense grief caused by the women in my life.

"Where the hell were you?" Alex asks alarmed when I finally return to the VIP lounge. "We've been looking everywhere for you!"

"Would you quit babysitting me?" I snap.

"That's it! We're going home! Looks like it's the only place where I can keep you safe and protect you from yourself!" He barks angrily. "Move!" He shouts at me and nudges me toward the door.

I give him an angry look, but decide not to argue with him.

* * *

Two weeks later, there is still no news about Ana or her parents. My frustration has reached high peaks and nothing and no one can comfort me anymore.

THE KNOCK ON MY door brings me back from my reverie and Alex enters my bedroom.

"Christian... I'm glad you're awake," he says, approaching my bed. "You've got to see something!"

"What is it?" I blink, alarmed by the sound of his voice.

He hands me an envelope that I literally snatch from him, desperate to see its content...


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER THREE

* * *

I STARE BLANKLY AT the photos in my hands, not knowing what to think about them. Seeing Jess hugging and kissing another man is a little unexpected, but not surprising at all. From the pictures taken on different days and in various places, they seem to know each other very well and she looks quite happy and relaxed in his arms.

"What is this?" I ask confused.

"Um... After Jess told you about the pregnancy, I hired a private detective to follow her every move, hoping that she had something to hide. And she did... She's met this guy almost every day ever since. They made a habit of having dinner at a restaurant downtown. The detective brought me these pictures and informed me that she'd probably meet him today too," Alex says.

I frown, not truly understanding what this meant. "Who is this guy?"

"His name is Robert Mantel. He's the son of a very rich guy with businesses in the oil industry. He's twenty-nine years old, studied geopolitics abroad and now works for his father."

"Of course! He had to be rich as hell! Otherwise she wouldn't have even looked at him!" I frown. "So she's dating this guy while claiming to be pregnant with my child?"

"So it seems," Alex mumbles upset.

"Where is she meeting him? I want to go!" I mutter and jump out of bed.

"I'll talk to the detective to see what we can do..."

"Yes, do that... Thank you, Alex." I pat his shoulder and rush to the bathroom to shower. _What are you up to, woman? If you took me for a fool you'll regret it for the rest of your life. I promise you that! _I frown and wash myself faster than usual, eager to hear what she has to say about her little fling with the billionaire.

"Hey, I talked to my guy," Alex says when he sees me coming down the stairs. "He said they usually meet around seven for dinner and that we could go and see it for ourselves. It's almost six now," he adds, checking his watch.

"Let's go," I say impatiently, but he stops me.

"First, I want you to promise me that you will not make a scene and that you'll try to control yourself as best as you can," he warns.

I sigh. "Fine, I promise... Just get me there. I cannot wait to hear her explanations!"

THE ROAD TO THE restaurant seems endless to me, all the while wondering if I could find out the truth about that night after all.

"How much longer?"

"Jeez, Christian... Stop asking me that every two minutes. We'll be there in a bit," Alex replies, shaking his head at me. He parks the car a couple of blocks away from the restaurant and after that he leads me to a nearby van.

I look at him confused for a moment, but then an older guy dressed casually gets out to greet him.

"Mr. Payne... This is Christian Grey," Alex says.

"Pleased to meet you, sir," he nods and shakes my hand, before opening the back doors of his van and ushering us inside.

I stare in disbelief at all the equipment he's got in there and for a moment I feel like I'm in some action movie and this guy is a CIA agent.

"So here's what we're going to do... If she shows up, I'll go in and sit at a nearby table. I'm wearing a microphone, so through these headphones you can listen to everything she says," he explains, handing us each a pair of headphones. "I will also record the conversation, just in case she says something that we could use against her. I never got close enough to hear their conversations, but I did catch them on tape," he says and shows us a video of Jess snuggling and making out with that guy in a park.

My brow furrows when I see them so at ease with each other and my instinct tells me that she did take me for an idiot.

"Oh, there she comes," the detective announces, making me look away from the video and watch her car go by. "She's early today... I'd better get going. Stay here and don't touch anything until I return," he says before stepping out of the van.

"Can you believe this?" I snap. "She comes begging on her knees to take her back and then hooks with this dude behind my back! What the hell is going on? I just can't take this anymore! What does she want from me? She ruined my life," I whine, feeling my blood burning inside my veins.

Alex places his hand on my back to calm me. "This is what we're trying to find out. Maybe it's our lucky day..." he comforts me and puts the headphones on his head.

I do the same and wait nervously to hear what's going on. It doesn't take long before we finally hear something.

"Hi, Jess!" A happy female voice sounds clearly over the continuous babble in the restaurant. "Look at you! Pregnant, but beautiful as always," she giggles. "I'm so glad you could come. I feel like I haven't seen you in ages, so we need to catch up."

Alex and I glance at each other, not recognizing the voice. I can't help not to feel disappointed that we didn't catch her with Robert, but at least I'm glad that the detective managed to sit close to them so we could hear them well.

"I know, I know," Jess replies. "I've been quite busy lately," she excuses herself. "And also not feeling very well because of the pregnancy. I'm constantly feeling sick. Especially in the mornings," she complains.

"Yeah, but this phase will not last forever, if you're lucky. So tell me... How come you decided to be a mom all of a sudden? Are you and Christian dating again?"

There's no answer for almost a minute and my heart begins to hammer in my chest as I await a response.

"You really want to know?" She says eventually.

"Of course I do. Why? It's a secret?" She giggles, sounding amused.

"It actually is... and you have to promise me that you're not going to tell anyone else about this. Nobody else knows."

"Ok," the girl says, rather uneasy.

"Christian and I are not dating anymore. But I made sure he'd pay for the pain he caused me when he dumped me for that skinny brat," she says impassively.

"What? What did you do, Jess?" The girl asks confused.

"Well... I made him believe that he's the father of my child," she snickers evilly.

I stare at Alex in disbelief when she confirms what I had thought all along. "That bitch!" I bark and get up to go to her, but Alex grabs my arm and pulls me back on my seat.

"What are you doing?" He frowns. "Sit still and listen carefully. We may not get a second chance to find out what really happened!"

I have to admit that he is right, but I can hardly contain myself from going there and getting my hands into her hair.

"Oh, dear... Jess... What did you do?" She worries.

"Well... It was much easier than I thought. I went over one night and waited for him in the parking lot. When he arrived home I pretended to be drunk and threatened to commit suicide if he didn't give me another chance. The poor baby believed me and allowed me into his apartment, afraid that I'd do something to myself. The bitch wasn't home, so I was free to do whatever I wanted. He got himself a drink at some point and I slipped a crushed slipping pill into his whiskey when he wasn't looking. You know about mixing those with alcohol. The effect was quite quick. We barely made it upstairs and he was already dizzy and confused. He showed me to the guest room, but sadly for him, he didn't make it to his own and doze off right there on the bed. So I undressed him and myself, and then got under the sheets with him. You can imagine his face in the morning when he saw us together naked in bed. He couldn't remember anything. I will never forget that crushed, horrified look," she spits, showing just how evil and diabolic she can be. "When I found out that I was pregnant... I took advantage of the fact that he couldn't remember a thing and decided to use it to get my revenge. So I went to his office and told him that the baby was his."

"Oh, my God! Jess! How could you? You've been together with him for so long. I don't think he deserved to be treated like that, simply for the fact that he fell in love with someone else. This is not fair..."

"Now you listen to me!" She replies menacingly. "No one dumps me like I'm some used rug! He hurt my feelings so I paid him back the same way! He deserves all this and more! Both him and that stupid bitch who snatched him from me. I did it to hurt her too! And it worked... they broke up and she's nowhere to be found!" She exclaims, proud of herself.

Alex's hand tightens around my wrist and I can tell he's just as angry as I am. I begin to shake uncontrollably, stunned by her confession. Realizing how keen she is on ruining me for breaking up with her makes me shudder and wonder who the hell she really is and why did I ever allow someone like her into my life.

"Still... I think you've crossed the line here," her friend says. "Who's the father of your child then?"

"My boyfriend, Robert... We've been dating for about four months now. I'm expecting him to come for dinner. You can stay and meet him if you want," she replies.

"I'd love to, but I have to run in a bit. Maybe some other time," she suggests. "Um... Does he know about Christian?" She asks, curious.

"No... He doesn't even know he exists and I intend to keep it like that."

"Jess... Do you love him? I mean... you're pregnant with his child."

"Yeah, I guess. He's a nice guy and has everything I need, so... I can't complain."

"What will you do when Christian finds out that the baby is not his? He'll want to do paternity tests, don't you think? You'll get caught and it'll end up badly," she warns her.

"Do I care? I mean... I wanted to break them up and make them suffer, and I succeeded in doing so. That's all that matters to me," Jess mutters firmly.

"Jess... you can't possibly be that soulless. I am sure that he didn't mean to hurt you. The man simply fell in love with someone else and he was honest with you about it. You can't blame him for that. He's been very good to you while you were together. You, on the other hand... I don't think that I need to remind you how many times you cheated on him, do I?"

My jaw drops when I hear her friend's words. I had always suspected that she cheated on me more than once, but hearing a confirmation is simply too painful to digest.

"Alex, who the hell is this woman that I've spent four years of my life with? Was everything just a big fat lie? I can't believe this," I mumble dumbstruck.

"Why did you cheat on him anyway? Who would cheat on a guy like him and why? It's insane!" The girl says stupefied.

"I guess Christian is a bit too mild for my taste, so I kept looking for other bad boys to satisfy my needs. I couldn't help myself," she answers nonchalantly.

"What?" I snap furious, but Alex still won't let go of me.

"Holy crap! You said he hurt your feelings when he broke up with you. What feelings? I'm beginning to think you never had any for him," her friend mumbles.

"He hurt my pride. How dare he dump me? And for that girlie? No one's ever dumped me before! Now he got to see what it's like to be dumped! Stop nagging me! I am not sorry at all. They were both heartless with me, so I treated them the exact same way," she says, sounding pissed.

"Why did you stay with him if he wasn't your type? For his money? I don't understand. Don't you have enough?"

"I wasn't rich when we met. Hey... I liked him. I've always liked him. But I don't think I've even truly loved someone, so I don't know. The thing is... when that Ana took him away, I was so angry. It was the first time that I lost something that was mine, and I didn't take it very well. Anyhow, what's done is done. I can't change it and I don't even want to. I'll deal with him somehow when the baby is born," she mutters stubbornly.

"You'll be in trouble if Robert finds out what you did. Have you thought of that?"

"Oh, give me a break. Robert loves me. I can take care of him, not to worry."

She sighs. "Oh, well... I've got to go now. I'm glad we got to catch up a bit. Just stay out of trouble, Jess."

"Don't tell anybody what we discussed. You're my friend and I trust you," she says, rather menacingly.

"Who would I tell? Don't you worry. Your secrets are safe with me, even though I do not agree with what you're doing. I just hope that you're not going to be the one who suffers in the end. You are playing with fire and you could get burned any moment now."

"Yeah, yeah," Jess replies, confident that nothing bad could happen to her.

"Well, I guess I'll see you around."

"See you, Paula."

"Paula? Who the hell is this Paula?" I ask, feeling like breaking someone's neck. "How could she do this to me, Alex? She fooled me... Ana left without hearing the truth about this lowlife woman and her evil plans. What am I going to do now?" I mumble and before he has time to react I dart out of the van toward the restaurant.

"Christian, no!" He yells, running after me. "Stop! Don't do this, Christian!"

This time I'm faster than him and he doesn't manage to stop me. I enter the restaurant and quickly scan it until I spot Jess at a table, waiting for Robert. The detective desperately shakes his head at me, but I'm too angry to care and walk determined to her table.

"My dear Jess... How fucking lovely to see you," I mumble through gritted teeth. "Can you join me outside for a little chat?"

"Christian?" She bleaches when she sees me and her breathing quickens visibly, betraying her and showing just how nervous she is, no longer the confident Jess from a moment ago.

"Get up," I mutter and grab her elbow, pulling her after me, ignoring all the curious eyes.

"Stop it, you're hurting me," she whines, but I manage to drag her outside.

"Christian, let her go! It's not worth it!" Alex says, separating us.

"I swear to God that if you weren't pregnant I'd beat the shit out of you, you horrible, evil woman!" I bark, startling her.

"What? What are you talking about?" She manages to say, shaking visibly in front of me.

"Don't you fucking take me for an idiot! I heard everything you said back there! Everything! So everything was just a plan for revenge? You ruined the most precious thing that I had in life! Are you happy now? Speak! Damn you and the moment you entered my life! I hate you! Do you hear me? I fucking hate you!" I yell sickened, but Alex holds me back, preventing me from reaching her.

"What? No..." she whines some more, terrified by the whole situation.

The detective behind her presses the play button on his recorder and we all listen to her confessions.

She leans against the wall dismayed, finally realizing that it's all over and that she cannot lie to me anymore. Clutching her swollen belly she eyes me dumb, desperate to escape me.

"Why? What did I ever do to you? How many times did you cheat on me? How many? Speak!" I shout, struggling to break free, causing her to shudder. "And when I finally found my happiness you decided to ruin it for me? Who the hell does that? You transformed me into lunatic, a cheater, a horrible person! I lost my mind because of you! I did some things that I never thought I'd do and it's nothing but your fault! What did I possibly do to you so bad to deserve all this? Tell me, you! Tell me..." I mumble, desperately trying to hold the tears back.

"You left me," she grunts, her voice hoarse and barely audible. "You were mine and then you left me for someone who was way more inferior to me!"

"What? Who the fuck are you to decide that? Ana is so much better than you in absolutely everything! I would have left you long ago if I had known your true nature! You're the most sordid, paltry, stingy person I've ever met! You never loved me or cared about me, you cheated on me on a regular basis, and yet you freaked out when I finally had enough of your uncaring behavior and decided to move on and be happy with another woman. I don't get you... You let me down in the nastiest possible way, Jess, and I hate you for what you made me become. I hope for both your sake and mine that I'll never have the misfortune of seeing your monstrous face again, because Alex may not be there to hold me back from strangling you," I spit.

"Jess? Baby, what's wrong?" Robert says when he arrives for their regular dinner, and rushes to her concerned. She launches herself into his arms, trembling, her eyes never leaving mine. "What's going on? Who are these people?" He asks alarmed.

"Welcome to the party, my friend... I believe you've never heard of me before. I'm Christian Grey, this lovely lady's ex. I'm sorry for what you're about to hear, but it's best for you to hear it now before she finishes with you and you end up insane like me," I grumble, watching how his face contorts, perplexed by my words. I nod to the detective and he plays the tape again, so Robert could hear too what an amazing person she is.

"No, please, stop..." she begs, crying worriedly in his arms.

"What?" He steps away from her puzzled, staring at her with big eyes as the words register on his brain.

"No, I can explain," she sniffs, trying to get back into his arms, but he evades her.

"Did you really do all the things you said you did? That was your voice! Is this for real?" He looks at us astonished, trying to get a grip of himself.

"You have no idea what this woman is capable of doing! Her stupid lies have caused me to lose the love of my life and I'm afraid that nothing could bring her back now!" I shudder, terrified by that perspective. "I am out of here! Deal with her! She's all yours... I hope you get what you deserve!" I mumble to her hurt and stride toward the van, followed by Alex and the detective.

* * *

As weeks turn into months, I'm beginning to lose hope of ever finding her. Living in complete isolation, with no one but Alex and Caroline to keep me company and the occasional visits from my overly concerned parents and friends, I feel like I'm slowly fading away. I found my refuge in music and managed to fill page after page with lyrics and thoughts, voicing my sorrow through my songs. But not even that could keep her out of my mind. Nothing worked, nothing soothed me, not even the sweet memory of her.

On a cloudy morning of November, unable to pick myself up and get out of bed, I hear someone running up the stairs, excitedly calling my name.

"Christian, Christian!" Alex barges in, causing me to sit up in the middle of the bed, confused. "We found her! We found Ana!" He exclaims with a broad grin on his face, his eyes glittering with joy...


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER FOUR

* * *

MY HEART IS IN my throat when I hear the good news and my body miraculously springs to life, reborn like a dying flower after rainfall. The prospect of finally reuniting with her brings solace to my poor, broken self. I let happiness run its course through me like an electrical current, reviving my limp limbs and bringing hope to my shattered dreams.

"Where? Where is she?" I murmur, unable to hide the excitement in my voice, overwhelmed by emotions.

Alex bites his lip for a moment. "She's in France. Paris..." he says, eyeing me intently, awaiting my reaction.

I blink surprised and turn to her picture on the wall, wondering what she could possibly be doing there. I know no one in Paris that she could have gone to. Without further thinking I jump out of bed and rush to my dressing to start packing. "Get me on the next flight to Paris!"

"Wait, Christian..." he follows me inside. "Paris is a big city and we don't know for sure where exactly she's staying in Paris. My men managed to track her all the way there but they couldn't find her exact location yet. Shouldn't we wait till then?"

"Absolutely not! I'm going to Paris as soon as possible!" I reply stubbornly, desperate to close the huge distance in between us.

"Ok... I'm coming with you..." he mumbles and leaves the room.

A few minutes later my phones rings, disturbing my state of frenetic packing. "Hello?" I pick up when I see Tom's name on display. "What is it, Tom? I'm in a hurry," I say, eager to return to my luggage.

"Hey... Alex told me about Ana and that you're going to Paris. I talked to Hailey and we're both willing to come along and help you look for her," he informs me.

"Tom... Really?" I murmur, pleasantly surprised by their gesture.

"Anything to see you smile again, bro'," he replies, showing me once more how lucky I am for having such amazing, compassionate friends.

"Thank you, guys. This means a lot to me. I'll call you as soon as I know what plane we're on," I say moved.

"We'll be ready. See you, bro'," he says and hangs up.

I hurry downstairs to talk to Alex but catch him in deep conversation with his wife on the living room couch.

Caroline is cuddled on his lap, wrapped tightly in his arms. "I'm going to miss you so much," she sniffs, clutching his shirt in her fist.

"I know, baby... So will I. But I have no choice. I can't leave him alone. He needs my help and support. Hopefully we'll find her soon and bring her home once she hears him out," he murmurs to her softly, nuzzling her hair with affection.

My heart sinks when I see them like that. Knowing all too well just how much it hurts to be away from the one I love, I do not want to separate them. I step forward, determined to ask him to stay home with her, but I'm stopped in my tracks when I hear her words.

"At least you'll get to see Paris. I've always wanted to go there. It must be so beautiful and romantic. Perfect for someone in love," she says quietly.

"I'll take you there one day, Caroline. I promise," he says and kisses her lips with need.

"Don't worry about me," she says when they split. "I'll be at my mom's. Just do your job and come home to me," she whispers, caressing his face.

I turn around and silently head back to my room, making a call on the way. "Lauren... Hi... Did Alex ask you to get us tickets to Paris? Oh, good. How many? Four? Yeah, Hailey and Tom are joining us too. But make it five tickets, please..."

FRESHLY SHOWERED AND SHAVED I exit the bathroom with a towel around my waist and find Alex sitting on my bed next to the clothes that I prepared for myself.

"Christian... Why are there five plane tickets?" He asks confused. "I know about Tom and Hailey, but who else is coming?"

"Oh... Your wife, of course... You wouldn't want to leave her behind, would you?" I wink, watching how his face lightens radiating happiness.

"Seriously? Caroline can come? Please don't play with me," he says, staring at me innocently.

I burst into laughter for the first time since Ana left, unable to help myself. "Alex, I'm very serious. She's coming with us," I assure him.

"Oh, thank you so much!" He exclaims and hugs me, taking me by surprise.

I laugh more, glad that I could please him too somehow. "Ok, this is weird. I'm half naked, get off," I complain amused and receive one of his usual taps on the back of my head before he steps away and darts downstairs.

WE ARRIVE AT THE LAX airport around five p.m., a couple of hours before our plane is due to take off, eager to get on that flight at once. Tom and Hailey join us shortly after and I hug them both for doing this for me.

"How could I ever thank you?" I mumble, holding my arm around Hailey's shoulders.

"You don't need to. We're friends and we're all so desperate to see you happy again," she confesses.

Caroline sticks to my other side and I embrace her too. "Thank you for letting me come with you," she says, giving me her most innocent look.

"Are you kidding me? It's the least I can do after all you and Alex did for me lately. I don't know where I would have ended up if it weren't for you," I kiss her forehead and she smiles at me coyly.

"I'm really excited. I didn't think I'd ever get to see Paris. I'm surprised that Ana chose to hide there," she murmurs.

"Not more than I am," I reply. "She didn't come back to school. I can't imagine what she could be doing there. I hope that she didn't find herself another guy," I worry.

"She was either too hurt to accept another guy in her life, or too devastated to care anymore and gave it a try with whoever crossed her path first," Hailey implies, making me shudder.

"Oh, God, no! I'd die if she hurt herself in any way because of me," I mumble.

"Hey, let's not jump to conclusions. We should focus on finding her first and then we'll play her the tape and let her decide whether you deserve a second chance or not," Alex says.

"What? Of course I deserve a second chance! I didn't tell her everything that I could remember from that night, I know, and I'm sorry for that, but... I didn't touch Jess... It was all her plan to destroy our relationship. Ana will listen to me. She must listen to me!"

"Christian, relax... Once she hears that tape and realizes how monstrous Jess is, I'm sure she'll agree to talk to you and sort things out," Caroline says, trying to comfort me. "All we need is to find her. The tape will do the rest..."

THE TEN AND A half hour flight to Paris seems endless to me and I begin to shift from one side to another in my seat, impatient and nervous about facing her again after almost five months of separation. The longest, most horrible and devastating five months of my life could have a happy ending after all if I manage to locate her and bring her back home. Staring at the Rolex she gave me, I mentally count the hours left until arriving in Paris and try to decide where to look for her first.

It's 3 p.m. when we finally exit the Charles De Gaulle airport with our luggage and take two cabs to get us to hotel Marriott on the Champs-Élysées avenue, where Lauren had booked us three rooms. Once there, I don't waste any time admiring the beauty of that place and head straight to the reception area. Soon we are shown to our rooms and after taking a quick shower we meet again at the hotel's restaurant to have something to eat.

"I simply don't know where to start. I've only been a couple of times before. I don't know the city that well and she could be anywhere. Maybe we should split," I suggest.

"Oh, no... I'm not leaving you alone," Alex says.

"You and Caroline can go with Christian, while Tom and I will go on our own," Hailey offers.

"Hmm... Alright," Alex agrees. "Call us if you find anything. If by any chance you do find her, don't let her go until Christian comes to talk to her. Force her to stay, if necessary. We are not leaving until she listens to him!"

After we finish our meal we head out in opposite directions, with no particular destination, but with the clear goal of finding my Ana. Tom and Hailey head west toward the Arc of Triomphe, while Alex and Caroline join me to the east toward the Place de la Concorde. We pass by the Obelisk of Luxor and then walk through the Tuileries Garden until we end up in front of the Louvre Museum.

"This is so beautiful!" Caroline says mesmerized by everything she's seen so far.

I sigh depressed. "I was planning to bring her here and propose to her," I confess. "This is not how I had pictured returning to Paris. All my plans were ruined on that horrendous day when Jess showed up at my office with her stinking lies."

"It's not too late, Christian," Alex says, placing his hand on my shoulder. "You are both in Paris after all, even though not exactly how you had planned it initially."

"Do you think she'd agree to marry me after all that's happened?" I ask, hopeful.

"We have strong evidence to prove to her that nothing ever happened. I think she'll accept. She loves you, Christian. Of that I'm sure," he replies, calming me a little.

"To be honest... I'd give Alex a second chance if I were in this situation," Caroline says. "But I'd still be a bit sad that he didn't tell me everything. I know you were afraid to tell her, but I think she would have forgiven you much easier if you had been completely honest with her. Anyhow, what's done can't be changed. Right now, let's just concentrate on why we're here."

We sit down at the Louvre Pyramid to rest a bit, and watch the people going by, mostly tourists snapping pictures, enchanted by what the mighty Paris has to offer.

"You can go visit the museum if you want... It would take you a couple of weeks to do a thorough visit to all the exhibits, but you can give it a try. Check out the most important ones, like the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, the Winged Victory of Samothrace, the Code of Hammurabi and many others. Also the Egyptian antiquities are cool and anything related to Napoleon... his bed is so small..." I babble until Caroline puts her hand on my knee and stops me.

"Christian... As much as I'd love to go inside and not come out for a month, I think we have more important things to attend for the moment. And we're certainly not going to give you the chance to take off on your own," she informs me.

"Why not? I'll be fine... It's the first time for you two together in Paris and you should enjoy it."

"We're not here on visiting trip," she reminds me. "First we deal with the Ana problem and maybe then we'll get to the fun part too."

I nod and fall silent for a while. "Do you guys ever make love? I haven't heard you once since you've been living with me. Not even by mistake..."

"Oh, dear... Did you really just ask that?" She laughs, pushing me gently. Alex shakes his head at me amused and I shrug, with a trace of a smile on my face.

"Well, my friend... we weren't going to advertise it so you'd know. And you gave us too many headaches to even consider it, at times," he says.

I blink, not happy for affecting their private life. "How could you be so quiet? Ana and I..." I murmur, unable to finish the sentence and close my eyes, remembering how fascinating she looked to me when we were together like that and how we got lost in each other's eyes, our love and pleasure reflected in them. I shake my head to return to reality and find them gazing at me. "Don't ask..." I mumble and start walking again, with them following me closely behind in silence.

WE WALK DOWN THE streets of Paris for hours, but with no positive outcome. Passing by the Sorbonne University, we soon end up in front of the Panthéon and I throw myself right there on the stairs, despite the cold November evening.

"What? You're giving up?" Alex asks me.

"Of course not! I won't stop until I find her... I just... wish I knew where to go to," I mumble watching a happy couple walking by embraced. After seeing so many couples around the city I'm beginning to feel a little depressed and resent that odd sensation that I can see her everywhere I look.

"Christian... I told you we should have waited for the detective to find some more information about her exact location. Bumping into her on the street is highly unlikely, no matter how much we try."

"Shut up, Alex! I just couldn't stay home and wait. All this waiting is killing me! At least I'm closer to her here and it gives me more strength to carry on," I explain.

"I know, I know... Um... Maybe we should go back to the hotel. It's getting late and I don't think she'd be out at this hour. There's no chance we'll find her now."

"No! You can go, but I'm staying out a little longer," I reply. "I'm not even sleepy. I wouldn't be able to sleep even if I were, knowing that she's here so close to me."

"Seriously, there's no point. She's probably getting ready for bed wherever she is. You're not going to find her. Come on, don't fight it... you do need to rest. Tomorrow we'll have a lot of walking to do," Caroline says, taking my hand and pulling me up.

I sigh defeated. "When is this nightmare going to end?" I mumble to myself. We pass through the Luxemburg Garden and I quickly scan the groups of young people that we encounter, but there's still no luck. "Do you think her parents are here with her, hiding her?" I ask after a while.

"Yes, most likely and hopefully we'll find her first and explain everything before her dad gets the chance to break your teeth. I can only imagine how angry he must be if he broke all contact with your dad even thought they run a company together. It's insane..." Alex says.

My eyes widen. "What if he forbade her to contact me? Maybe she wanted to after a while but he didn't let her. He was angry when we started dating. Now I think he hates me. Actually, I'm sure he does," I whine.

"Ana is a big girl... If she truly wanted to contact you, I think she would have found a way. But knowing how protective her parents can be... I just don't know what to say about this. Anything is possible, I guess."

"They're like that because they've seen her suffer before. Who am I kidding? I'd break the legs of the bastard who hurt my daughter too. I can't blame them for protecting their child. But right now I just wish they gave me a moment to explain. I know it will be really hard for me to regain their trust. Look what a great job they've done with keeping her away and taking her from one place to another so we'd lose track of them. It took us nearly five months to locate the city she's in. I hope it doesn't take much longer before we get an address."

"It shouldn't... You've spent a lot of money on detectives. They'd better do their jobs at once," Caroline says on our way back to the hotel.

I CAN HARDLY GET any sleep at night, shifting and turning in bed unable to find a comfortable position to rest in. I close my eyes and see her face, memories of our trip to Alaska flooding me mercilessly. How happy we had been, alone and away from all the evil. Not for one second had I imagined myself in the position that I'm in at the moment.

'_Ana, baby, wake up. Come on, sleepy head.' _

'_Christian? What the hell? What time is it?' _

'_It's seven thirty.'_

'_You're crazy... We're on our vacation. Why are you waking me up so early?' _

'_Oh, no you don't! Come on, let's not waste time! Let's go out and build a snowman.'_

Tears prick my eyes at the lovely memory, her sweet giggle resounding in my head. I reach for my phone to check the time and see it's a little over six a.m. Too nervous and agitated to get any more sleep, I get out of bed, take a quick shower and sneak out of the hotel, desperate for air and in need for some time alone to think.

I walk along the banks of the Seine River, extra attentive to what's going on around me. From time to time I stop and stare at the pictures and drawings set up on their stalls on the promenade above the river until I spot an older man preparing his tools to draw portraits for tourists. He displays some of his work, but one in particular draws my attention. I step closer and pick up a portrait of a woman and a man, my eyes locked on her. To my surprise she looks a lot like her, but her hair is shorter and her face seems gloomy.

"Vous voulez votre portrait, monsieur?" The man asks, taking me by surprise.

I shake my head and put it back before stepping away, wondering if I'm only imagining things, but I also contemplate the possibility that it is her. My train of thought is interrupted when my phone starts ringing all of a sudden, causing me to flinch. I pull it out of my pocket and sigh when I see it's Alex. Needing more time on my own, I reject his call, knowing that he's only going to scold me leaving the hotel without him. He doesn't give up and insists with the calls, annoying me. I'm about to turn the phone off when I receive a message from him.

I KNOW WHERE SHE IS!

My heart skips a beat when I read his text and I lean against the banister as my knees fail me. Out of breath as if I had run for miles I call him back, not minding to weird looks that I'm getting from the people around me.

"Christian! Where the hell are you?" He admonishes me angrily.

"Where is she?" I barely whisper, desperate to know.

"Why did you leave without us? Tell me where you are!"

"Where is she?" I bark, not in the mood for his babysitting.

He sighs. "The detective called me half an hour ago. He finally managed to track her down. She's a student at the Paris American Academy where they teach Interior Design in English."

"Holy fuck! Why didn't I think of that before? I'm such an idiot!" I scold myself, outraged by my stupidity.

"Christian..." he grunts, but I cut him off.

"Give me the address!" I spur him impatiently.

"Saint Jacques Street, number 275," he mutters quietly. "Come to the hotel and we'll go together..."

"No... You all stay there. I need to do this alone. Please..." I reply, already looking for a cab.

"Fine, but please call me as soon as you know something. We're all worried about you," he confesses.

"I will... Thank you for everything," I hung up and jump into the first cab that I see.

I QUICKLY PAY THE driver when we arrive at the destination and step out of the car, facing the imposing building. Since it's not eight o'clock yet I decide to wait outside, certain that I'd see her coming at some point.

A couple of hours pass and there's still no sight of her. Stressed out and nervous I walk up and down the street in front on the building, not sure how to proceed. Ten minutes later I'm done waiting and finally get in, wondering if I could ask someone about her.

Inside, I absentmindedly follow a group of students and end up into a large room where an exposition seems to be held, with pictures hanging everywhere. I don't understand much of their fast spoken French, but I mingle among them and scan the place, eyeing the pictures also, in my attempt to find any clue that could confirm to me that she is indeed a student there.

Defeated after completing the tour with no success I sigh and hide my face in my hands for a moment, my head spinning due to the lack of sleep, food and too much worrying.

When I lift my gaze eventually, my eyes lock on the painting right in front of me and I find myself moving closer, inexplicably drawn by it. Split into two parts, the side on the left is painted in shades of black and gray representing a broken wing, two hands reaching out for each other, sad crying eyes and sad lips, looking wistful and dark. The right side is exactly the opposite, a pair of beautifully spread wings, two holding hands, luminous eyes and a dazzling smile, all painted in bright colors. Dumbstruck, I cannot take my eyes off that smile. I could recognize it anywhere.

As I stand before that painting, glued to the floor and lost in my thoughts, my heart begins to pound heavily in my chest out of the blue, letting me know that she's near...

**END OF PART ONE**

* * *

_Author's note: Hey, guys. This is the last chapter of the first part of the sequel. Keep in mind how it ended. You'll see later why ;)**  
**_

_In the second part you'll see what Ana has been doing since she left, before she and Christian finally meet again._

_Once more I'm asking you to be patient... we'll get to their reunion too._

_This sequel will have a happy ending, so don't fret too much ;)_

_Thank you all for sharing your opinions with me!_

_Emily_


	6. Chapter 6

**PART 2**

_Ana's POV_

* * *

**CHAPTER ONE**

* * *

A WEEK AGO I was the happiest woman in the world, but now, crouched in my seat on a plane to Spain, I feel lifeless and numb, trying to escape the man whom I love with all my heart. These past few days I've shed so many tears that my eyes burn, and I'm slowly fading away unable to react to the world around me. I'm an empty shell, broken into pieces by the man whom I thought to be flawless, kind, loving and honest. Everything I cherished and loved most was abruptly taken away from me, leaving me in a state from which I doubt I can ever recover.

Despondent by the actions of the men in my life I lose hope of ever finding someone right for me, but the pain that his betrayal caused me is too strong to even consider the possibility of being with somebody else. I am done with men. My poor heart can't take it anymore. It hurts so much that I cry myself to sleep only to wake up in the middle of the night screaming and calling his name. I have nothing left to hang on to, nothing but my parents. It is for their sake that I try hard not to lose myself, sorry that they have to go through this mess with me once again.

Christian's reaction to the news Jess gave him still haunts every second of my existence, tearing me apart and taking away my will to live.

Sickened, I close my eyes and succumb to the ruthless pain torturing my soul, trying to find out what will be left of me in the end, as I am forced to face yet another huge disappointment in my life.

* * *

"Ana, sweetheart, why are you crying?" Mom asks startled when I arrive to my parents' home after driving around town for hours with Rover on my lap. She leaps off the couch where she was comfortably resting while watching a movie, and rushes to my side. Her soothing arms envelop me and I break down once more, blubbering devastated. "Ana, you're scaring me!" She whines, desperate to find out what's causing my pain, but I'm simply unable to speak, suffocated by all the crying and the uncomfortable lump in my throat that's blocking my windpipe.

"Ana?" Dad calls confused when he enters the living room and finds us like that. "Ana!" He strides over to me once he realizes the state that I'm in, horror written across his face. "What's going on?" He desperately asks mom.

"I don't know... She won't tell me," she mumbles worried, holding me tight. "Baby, please... talk to us," she begs, ravaged to see me so hurt. She leads me to the couch and we sit down with me in between them, struggling to find my words.

"He... Christian... He's having... a baby... with Jess," I sniff and shudder as the excruciating realization dawns upon me once more.

"What?" They burst at the same time, gaping at me appalled.

It takes me almost an hour to calm down enough so I can explain to them everything about the night that Jess had spent at the apartment with Christian and her resulting pregnancy.

"This is unbelievable!" Dad barks. "How could he?"

"I'm calling Grace," mom mutters upset, grabbing her phone.

"No! Please..." I sob. "I don't want to see him or his family. He ruined me and all of my dreams. I want to go where he can never find me!"

"Shouldn't you at least talk to him and hear him out?" Mom suggests with sadness in his voice.

"He lied to me! He screwed things up big time and I can't... I just can't sit and listen to his explanations, to his stupid excuses! He has no excuse for what he did! He knew how much I resented her and yet he allowed her into our home! I don't care that she was suicidal! She had nothing to do in our apartment! Not to mention the fact that he assured me that nothing had happened that night. He lied in my face! He slept with her and knocked her up, and there's no way I'll ever forgive him for that!" I weep, rocking back and forth on the couch with my hands fisted in my hair.

Dad frowns and I can tell that he's really angry by the look on his face. "I can't believe he'd do this to you! He promised me he'd never hurt you, and look at you now! This boy is going to hear me out!" He snaps.

"Dad, no! Leave him alone! Let's just go... let's get out of here before he comes looking for me. I don't wanna see him," I sob, unable to stop the tears from falling, my vision blurred and my head about to explode because of the pain that I'm feeling.

"Where to?" He mumbles, caressing my back, afraid for me.

"Anywhere... as far away as possible. I cannot deal with this. I need to go..."

"Ana, we can't drop everything and leave," mom says.

"Please, get me out of here," I beg tormented.

The worried look they exchange kills me and I feel terrible for making them suffer with me again.

"Alright..." dad grumbles and walks away.

"Baby, I'm so sorry... I honestly thought he was different," mom murmurs, hugging me to her chest.

"He killed me, mom. He killed me," I whisper hoarsely, causing her to tense.

"I called Carrick and told him that Carla and I are going away for a few days and asked him to take care of the business for me," dad says when he returns.

"I hope you didn't tell him anything about this," I worry.

"No... No word about you," he replies. "Carla, let's go pack some clothes."

"Hurry, guys..." I sniff and watch them head to their room saddened.

WE LOAD DAD'S CAR with all of our luggage and head off, eager to leave town. He drives all the way to Bakersfield before we finally stop for the night. We opt for a Bed and Breakfast and ask for a room. Once there, mom and I settle on the double bed while dad heads out to bring us something to eat.

Rover curls on my chest and I caress his soft fur absentmindedly, wishing I'd wake up from this horrible nightmare that I'm having.

"Are you sure you've made the right decision?" Mom asks timidly, eyeing me with big, worried eyes.

"I don't want him anywhere near me. I trusted him so much and look how he repaid me. He's not worth it. My childhood friend has failed me once again, but this time I can no longer forgive him. How could I bare seeing him with another woman's child?" I bite my lip, trying to hold back the tears.

"I can't stand seeing you like this, Ana..." she mumbles. "We've been here before and I hoped I'd never get the chance to see you hurt again. I thought he'd make you happy. You looked perfect for each other," she sighs.

"Love is just not for me, Mom. I don't want to love anybody anymore. They will only end up breaking my heart, if there's anything left to break. I'm staying alone for the rest of my life," I sniff and turn with my back at her, hiding my face in the pillow.

"Don't be silly, Ana. If Christian is not the one for you, then I'm sure that somebody else is. Don't give up," she encourages me, but I'm simply too sad to listen to her.

Dad returns with the food, but even thought I haven't eaten anything since breakfast, I'm in no mood to eat.

"Ana, you've got to eat. Don't be a baby," mom mumbles exasperated.

"I can't. Please let me be. I will eat tomorrow. Right now I'm too shocked. This is by far the worst day of my life," I sob, not knowing which way to go or what to do with my life from this moment on. I had dreamed of becoming his wife, having his children and growing old together, but none of that will ever happen.

MORNING FINDS ME STILL awake since I've not been able to sleep all night. My eyelids are heavy, my eyes still burn and the headache has not given me a break at all. My body feels as if all the life has been sucked out of it.

I slip out of bed in silence, careful not to wake my parents up and step into the bathroom in desperate need for a shower. I try to block the memories of him skillfully washing my body, but fail miserably which only makes it worse for me. He's present in my every thought and there's nothing I can do to get him out of my head. Given the entire situation, I strongly wish that I had never reunited with him after the twelve years we've been apart. It would have spared my heart from this unnecessary suffering.

TRAVELLING FROM ONE LOCATION to another does not bring me the solace that I'm yearning for, nor it manages to stop me from thinking about him and wondering what he's doing. My heart still aches for him and I constantly have to remind myself of his betrayal to resist the urge of contacting him. My phone has been off ever since and I plan to keep it that way to prevent him from finding me.

Two weeks later my parents have finally had enough of wandering across the country, and seeing no positive change in me, they decided to take me to Europe, hoping that the new, unfamiliar surroundings would lift my spirits even for a little bit.

* * *

The plane lands at the Madrid-Barajas airport around noon and we go straight to a hotel to check in and leave our luggage. Rover hops animated on the bed, enjoying his freedom after being locked in a cage throughout the flight.

Seeing that cute furry thing takes me back to my birthday when Christian had gifted him to me. I still remember his perfect voice when he sang to me and once more my eyes are bathed in tears. "Why did you have to ruin everything?" I sob, picking Rover up and cuddling with him on an armchair, holding him to my chest.

'_I can't believe you did that for me.' _

'_Told you I'd do anything for you, Ana...' _

'_Did you see that? Did you see their reaction? You're special, Christian. You sing so beautifully. Whatever you do, please don't stop. This... This is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me and I thank you for that. I want to be your everything too!'_

I burst out crying, releasing all the suppressed feelings that I tried not to show around my parents to spare them from suffering as well, more than they already do.

The knock on my door makes me flinch and I quickly wipe off my tears, trying to calm down. "Just a minute," I mumble and put Rover back on the bed before dashing to the bathroom to wash my face.

"Hey, dear..." mom says when I open the door. "Oh, no... Have you been crying again?" She sighs.

"No, Mom," I say, looking down.

"Oh, yes you were. Maybe I should share the room with you," she offers, worried.

"I need some time alone with myself. Please, stay with dad. Rover will keep me company."

"If only you stopped crying. I'm worried about you."

"Mom, I can't pretend to be happy when I'm not. Crying helps me release all this accumulated tension. I can't help it. Don't you think I'd love to be able to forget him at once? But I can't! It's as if he's torturing me from far away, always on my mind, haunting my dreams and keeping me awake at night. It's a never ending nightmare!" I snap.

She stares at me wide-eyed, not knowing how to react to my sudden outburst.

"Oh, Mom, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you," I sigh and give her a warm hug.

Her arms circle my waist, but she says nothing, making me want to kick myself for being mean to her, especially now that she's so sad and vulnerable because of me.

"Would you like to join us on a tour of the city?" She asks when I finally release her, trying unsuccessfully to hide the pain in her voice.

"Sure," I say, desperate to make it up to her.

"Ok, dear. Knock on our door when you're ready," she says and walks away.

I close the door and lean on it for a moment to brace myself and gather some strength to carry on.

THE PRADO MUSEUM, ONE of the world's greatest art galleries is the first thing we visit. There we admire its dazzling collection of works by the great European masters such as Velázquez, Goya, Raphael, Rubens, and Bosch.

Francisco Goya's "The Naked Maja", the painting of a nude woman reclining on a bed of pillows, draws my attention and I move closer to it. Out of the blue images of Christian and I making love pop into my head and his sexy groans are all that I can hear. I close my eyes to evade them and take a deep breath to steady my pounding heart, abashed by the unwelcome memories.

"Ana, are you ok?" Dad asks, snapping his fingers at me to bring me back to reality.

I turn to him confused, having a really hard time concentrating on my surrounding environment.

"Seeing you so lost only makes me want to kick him more," he says pissed. "Now you don't even answer when I call. What am I going to do with you, Ana? I'm going to call Carrick!"

My eyes nearly pop out of my orbits. "No! Don't! Dad, I need some time to heal. Give me some time, that's all," I beg.

"But... We literally disappeared without giving him an explanation and he's probably very worried about us. We run a business together, remember? And it's not his fault that his son is an idiot," he replies.

"If you talk to Carrick and let him know where we are, he'll tell him too. And there's a chance that he might come looking for me, if he ever cared about me. I don't want that to happen. I'm too weak when he's around me and I'll end up giving in and he'll only break me once again. I just can't forgive him for what he did to us."

Dad embraces me soothingly, visibly at a loss. I wish I could tell him not to worry, that everything will be ok, but deep down I know that I will never be the same person anymore.

WE LEAVE THE MUSEUM and stop at a nice restaurant to grab something to eat before we continue our exploration of the city.

Pulling the camera that Christian gave me out of my bag, I begin to snap pictures of everything that piques my interest, from old buildings to parks, landscapes and squares. In the following days I rediscover my passion for photography as a perfect means to escape reality and immerse myself into something that comforts me. I realize that I miss my friends and feel sorry for abandoning them without a word. Sophie and Sean had been such amazing friends to me that deep down I wish they could be with me and distract me with their humor and lively personalities.

BARCELONA HAS ALWAYS BEEN on my list of places that I want to visit, but now that I am finally here, I plan to enjoy it, even though I'm an emotional wreck. I put everything behind me when I'm out visiting and keep the crying for when I'm alone at night.

After a lot of begging, my parents finally agree to let me go out on my own, so I escape almost every day in Gaudí's famous Güell Park to explore its architecture, amazing stone structures, stunning tiling and fascinating buildings. There is something rather hypnotic and magical about it that simply fascinates me each time I enter the park. Whenever I pass by the mosaic seating area adorned with multi-colored tiles I stop and admire, taking hundreds of pictures to add to my album. I just can't get enough of it. Lastly, I eagerly visit a small house in which Gaudí had lived at one stage. Inside I discover that the house has been converted into a museum and now contains interesting furniture also designed by him. I feel truly inspired by this amazing architect and take mental notes of everything I see, hoping that one day I could create my own.

Being so passionate about architecture and design I cannot leave this city without visiting Sagrada Família, one of the most extraordinary structures combining Gothic and Art Nouveau forms. I stare at it for what seems like forever and capture it on camera from every angle, mesmerized by its grandeur.

AFTER SPENDING A COUPLE of weeks in Spain, I feel a little sad about leaving, but also eager to see other places too. Busying myself with visiting helps me disconnect from my problems and forget even for a little while about how sad and miserable I am.

Italy is our next destination and then Greece and Germany. It takes us another month and a half to do a thorough tour of each of these countries, and I'm glad I could share this wonderful experience with my parents.

By September we travel to France where we go on a tour of the medieval castles before we finally reach the capital.

Paris slowly grows on me to the point that I fall in love with it irremediably, lured by its irresistible culture, art, fashion, food and design. I feel like I'm in a different world, a potential new home for me.

"I love it here," I tell my parents one day at breakfast.

"I noticed. You seem a little better since we arrived here," mom says, hopeful. "And you eat more," she adds relieved.

"I guess it's because the food here suits me," I reply.

"Too bad we have to go home, then," dad says quietly.

I blink. "What? I'm not going home!" I mumble startled.

"But, Ana... school starts soon. You can't skip school," he reminds me.

"Damn it! I totally forgot about it," I whine. "I'm not ready to return to LA."

"Then what do you want to do? You can't run for the rest of your life. Sweetheart, you've got to figure out what it is that you want, because we can't go on like this forever."

"I know that, Dad. I think I want to stay here for a while. See if there's a university where I could transfer for a year. Start over, you know? I have nothing to go back to in LA, except my friends, whom I plan to invite to pay me a visit one day. If you want to return, I can't hold you back. I want you guys to be happy and I'm sorry for making you so miserable these past months," I sigh.

"Ana, we could never leave you," Mom says. "You're our only child and there's nowhere else we'd rather be than with you. If you wish to study here, then we support you one hundred percent. It will probably do you good," she kisses my cheek and hugs me motherly.

"I'm lucky to have you, guys," I whisper teary.

"Shhh, don't cry. Please don't... You've cried too much," she mumbles worriedly.

I nod and try to make up a plan in my mind to change my life for the better.

THE NEXT DAY FEELS like a new beginning to me. Happy that I found myself a new university where I could still study interior design in English, I go out determined to change my look drastically.

Eager to do something with my hair I step into the first saloon that I see and ask the hairstylist to cut it shorter, just a little above my shoulders and dye it blonde. I've never changed to natural color of my hair before, so this should be pretty drastic for me.

In the end I smile at my reflection in the mirror. _I don't look that bad_. The new haircut suits me and the color in not bad at all. I leave the saloon pleased and spend the rest of my day at a spa, needing some relaxation.

"Holy cow! What did you do?" Mom asks when she sees my new look, gaping at me bemused.

"What?" Dad bursts out of the bathroom once he hears her, but he stops in his tracks when he spots me by the door.

"I got a new look. You don't like it?" I grunt.

"It's... different," mom manages to say.

"That was exactly the point," I reply.

"You look good, dear," dad says, surprising me.

"Thank you, Dad. I'm starting a new life, so I felt the need for a change. Glad you didn't freak out," I murmur and hug them both.

* * *

Everything is dark and cold. I can't open my eyes to see what's causing the distress. _Why can't I open my eyes?_ I hear voices nearby and someone's sobbing close to me. _On no! That's Mom! Why is she crying? _I struggle to break free from the darkness that engulfs me, but I cannot find my way out.

I am paralyzed with fear when my eyes finally spring open and I realize I'm lying on a hospital bed. A horrified cry escapes my lips as I come to my senses and fully assess my surroundings.


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER TWO

* * *

MY STRONG AVERSION FOR hospitals kicks in and I'm beginning to freak out, not understanding why I'm here. My pounding heart settles down a little bit when Mom grabs my shoulders and gently pushes me back on the bed.

"It's ok, Ana. Don't panic, baby," she mumbles teary.

"Mom, what's going on?" I whine confused.

"Sweetheart, you passed out in the hotel's hallway when we were on our way to dinner," she sniffs, caressing my hair.

I shudder, engulfed by fear. "Mom, what's wrong with me?" I barely whisper, terrified that I might be sick.

"The doctor said it's hypocalcaemia, a sudden drop of the calcium levels in your blood. You haven't eaten properly lately and this is the result. Also the intense suffering, stress and all the crying did no good to you," she mutters frustrated.

I shy away, remembering that I had not eaten much all day, too busy with getting myself enrolled in the university that I found.

"They've given you intravenous calcium and we insisted they'd keep you here for the night just to make sure you're ok," she says, trying not to sound worried.

"Oh, no! Mom, please get me out of here! You know how I hate hospitals," I complain, tears forming in my eyes.

"Ana, you're staying here until tomorrow. But don't worry. I'm here with you and I'm not going to leave your side," she murmurs motherly and kisses my forehead.

I try to relax but I find it impossible given the circumstances and my surroundings. Even though the place looks clean, modern and neat, the typical hospital smell simply turns my stomach upside down.

"Where's Dad?"

"He went to get us dinner. We obviously didn't get the chance to eat," she sighs. "I'm worried about you, Ana. From now on I'm keeping my eyes on you and I'll force you to eat if that is necessary. No more doing things your way. It's starting to affect your health now, which will in turn affect mine if toy keep doing this to yourself," she worries.

I gape at her, by no means wanting my parents to get sick because of me. I mentally admonish myself for putting them under so much stress and desperately try to find a way out and mend things somehow.

"Your dad and I talked. Now that you decided to stay and continue your studies here, we will rent an apartment close to your new school. No more hotels. There I'll be able to cook you healthy food and you'll have to eat it!" She says, shaking her index finger at me.

"That's... actually great, Mom," I murmur, wanting a place for myself, which is not a hotel room.

"Good... I'm glad you agree. I also don't want to see you cry anymore. It only makes you feel worse. If you don't want to talk to him and give him a chance to explain, at least try to focus on other things and not think of him anymore. I know it's hard, but it's your choice. You'll get sick if you continue like this and you'll end up in here again. You don't want that, do you?"

I shake my head wide-eyed, horrified by the possibility of returning to this place. "I'll do what you say," I murmur.

"That's my girl. We'll get over this together. I promise," she says softly, holding my hand in between hers.

_I doubt I'll ever get over this, Mom. But I'll try._ I mentally tell her, unable to say it out loud.

Dad soon walks in with the food and sighs relieved to find me awake. "Oh, thank God! How are you feeling?" He asks, moving closer to me.

"Hey, Dad... I'm so sorry for scaring you. I feel... saddened," I reply.

"You need to eat. The doctor told me what to get you. I don't want you to have hospital food. We all know you hate it," he says and helps mom unpack the food that he bought.

My stomach growls at the smell of pasta and I'm surprised by how hungry I am. I finish my bowl in no time and leave them speechless when I accept some salmon with baked potatoes and vegetables salad.

"Now that's what I'm talking about," dad says pleased and sits with mom to eat as well.

I give them a shy smile and they both shake their heads at me, relieved to see me looking better.

The doctor walks in to check my vitals and informs me more about my problem, pointing out its causes and letting me know what to do to prevent it from happening again.

"I also prescribed you some multivitamin-mineral supplements after getting the results of your blood test," he adds. "If you keep in mind what I told you about eating right and take your medication, you should be fine. But try to avoid stressful situations. Those cut down your appetite."

"I'll do my best. Thank you doctor," I murmur, glad that I don't have anything too serious. Being sick is the worst thing that could happen to me right now.

"You're welcome. Press that button if you need the nurse. She'll call me if needed. Take good care of yourself," he says kindly and exist the room.

"You heard him, Ana. No more stress, no more crying," mom says, then turns back to her food.

"Try to get some sleep now," dad suggests.

"You should go back to the hotel and rest as well. It's been stressful for all of us," mom says to him.

"No, I'm not leaving you two," he replies stubbornly.

"Go, Ray. I know you're tired. I'll stay with her," she insists.

"Maybe you should both go and get some proper sleep," I whisper coyly.

"I will not be able to sleep knowing you are here by yourself. Plus, we both know that you don't really want me to go," she says and I flush. "It's ok, I'm staying. But you can go. Come get us in the morning," she hugs him and he reluctantly agrees to return to the hotel.

"Please take care of Rover for me, Dad. He must be hungry too."

He nods and kisses us both before he finally leaves, looking rather concerned about us.

Once he is out the door mom walks closer to my bed and covers me better, her gentle caresses soothing me. "Sleep, sweetheart," she whispers softly and kisses my cheek.

I scoot closer to the edge to make room for her as well. "Get next to me," I smile.

"Oh, I'm not allowed to do that," she blinks.

"Mom, please. I need you," I insist, craving her warmth and unconditional affection.

She doesn't think twice when she hears my words and takes her shoes off before sliding by my side.

I cuddle in her loving arms and soon manage to doze off, feeling safe and loved.

* * *

Searching for an apartment is rather tiring, but it also helps me keep my mind off him and focus on finding the right place for us, hopefully somewhere in the vicinity of my school.

It takes us about three days to finally find what we are looking for. A nice two bedroom apartment, fully furnished and with a large living room and dining area is perfect for our needs. We move in right the next day and by dinner time we are perfectly settled in.

Rover seems to enjoy my new bed, and lounged comfortably on my pillows he looks rather amusing to me.

I like my room and I'm glad to finally have a space of my own where to retreat when I need some privacy or when I simply feel the need to be alone.

"Ana?" Mom calls, knocking on my door. "Dinner is ready," she informs me.

"Coming," I reply and shut down my laptop after checking my schedule online. Two more days and the new academic year is due to begin. "Mom, it smells great in here," I say once I step into the kitchen, followed by my hungry cat.

"I made you lasagna," she grins and serves me and my dad before grabbing a plate for herself.

"Delicious," I murmur after taking a mouthful.

"Oh, look at her eat," dad grins.

"Yeah... Those vitamins are certainly working. She eats more and it seems to me that she put back on some of the weight that she lost," mom replies happily.

I look at them pleased to see them smiling again. "They've increased my appetite for sure. I feel a lot better," I say to sooth them. Physically I indeed feel stronger, but the vitamins are no use for my broken heart.

"You look healthier, dear," she smiles. "Are you anxious for your classes to begin?"

"Yeah, I guess I am. I hope I'll fit it. I've seen the courses and they're really interesting."

"You'll make new friends in no time and you'll hang out with people your age. I'm sure you've got enough of us all summer."

"Mom, don't be silly. I could never get enough of you two. You're my parents and I love you. Besides, I'm not really in the mood to make friends. I miss my old ones. I'd be much more excited about school if Sophie and Sean were here," I confess.

"Oh, but you need to socialize. You can't go to school looking grumpy and sullen. They'll think you're weird," she worries.

"Don't worry, Mom. I'll be fine." _I hope._

She nods and serves me a bowl of fruit salad that she made for dessert.

* * *

On the first day of school I wake up early in the morning and take a long relaxing bath to calm my nerves and prepare myself for the day. Once I'm out I dry my hair and then use the hair straightener to straighten my blonde locks. I'm pretty comfortable with my new appearance, which makes me look more like an LA girl.

Even though it is the 21st of September, the weather is still nice and warm for this time of the year, so I opt for a dark yellow casual dress that hugs my curves and reaches a few inches above my knees. I add a thin black belt around my waist and then put on a blue denim jacket whose sleeves I roll all the way up to my elbows. I complement my look with a pair of black medium sized heels ankle boots and a matching black bag in which I stuff my notebook and personal belongings. I use a little makeup to freshen up a bit and then I'm ready to go.

The omelet sizzles in the frying pan and mom greets me with a broad smile when I finally show up for breakfast.

"Ana, you look amazing in this outfit!" She beams.

"Thanks, Mom. I thought I should probably make a good first impression before I return to my regular clothes."

"What? No... You should always dress like this. It suits you perfectly. Plus, besides interior design, you said that they teach fashion and fine arts at this university. So, I believe that most students will be dressed similar to this. You're just so beautiful right now," she murmurs proud, tears forming in her eyes.

I flush. "I'm more comfortable in jeans and soon the weather will get colder anyway."

"We'll go shopping for warmer clothes," she says and offers me my breakfast.

I eat hastily, but finish the food on my plate before brushing my teeth and rushing out the door.

"Have a great day, honey," mom calls after me and I wave her goodbye.

THE CLASSROOM IS EMPTY when I get to the university and I'm surprised to be the first one to arrive, since I'm usually late. I choose a desk at the back of the class and settle my things.

It doesn't take long before a group of girls enters the room, talking and laughing excitedly about something. One quick look at them and decide that mom was right. They do look fancy and elegant in their clothing, not to mention the hair and makeup. Their fluent fast speaking French unsettles me a bit, and even though I did study French in high school I can only understand half of the things they're saying. Seeing them so friendly with each other reminds me that we're in the second year and that they all know each other very well by now. I hate being the new girl, but I have no choice.

"Salut!" They greet me once they spot me. I greet them back coyly and watch them settle at the front desks, resuming their conversation.

_They can only be French_. I say to myself, mesmerized by their perfect accents. Hearing them makes me realize once more how much I like this language and I'm actually excited to be studying it again, since it's mandatory for foreigners.

The room slowly fills as more groups of people arrive. Some speak Spanish, others British English or Italian, while others I cannot even recognize, but they all switch to English when they greet each other. Others, like me, sit alone, so I guess I'm not the only new student after all.

All of a sudden everyone's attention turns to the door when a tall guy with dark, rebellious hair looking like a typical artist makes an explosive entrance, causing everyone to smile and hurry to greet and hug him.

"Mes amis! Hello everyone!" He exclaims, almost doing a happy dance, glad to finally reunite with his classmates after the long summer holiday.

"Laurent!" The French girls burst out and are the first to get to him.

He hugs and kisses their cheeks and even picks one of them up and spins with her playfully, causing her to laugh.

"Denise, missed me?" He asks her as he puts her down.

"Absolument!" She answers, grinning.

The boys shake hands with him too and share impressions about their vacations and how eager they all are to start classes again. Noticing everyone's reaction to him makes me believe that he's some sort of a leader of the group, loved and appreciated by everybody else, the heart and soul that brings them all together, no matter their countries of origin.

"Ready for some new adventures this year, girls?" He chuckles, and I can tell that he's French by the way he utters the words.

"Sure thing!" They say at once, clinging to him as if he were made of gold.

His grin slowly fades away when he spots me at the back of the class, his eyes searching me with curiosity.

I freeze in place and turn my head away to evade his profound gaze, but I can see him with the corner of my eye as he makes his way to me.

"Hello," he says warmly and I reluctantly look up at him. He's about Christian's height, but less muscular, his dark hair and hazel eyes making him look rather mysterious.

"Hi," I murmur in return.

"Is this seat taken?" He kindly asks, pointing at the seat next to mine.

I shake my head and turn to observe the others again.

"You're new," he says, sitting down. "Do you speak French? English?" He asks as I don't respond to his comment.

_How about none?_ I reply to him mentally, not feeling very talkative today. "English... And some French. I'm working on it, though."

"You're American!" He figures, also by my accent, and offers me a broad smile.

"Yeah," I mumble.

"Très bien!" He exclaims excitedly. "I'm Laurent Pinard and I was born here in Paris. What about you?"

"I'm Ana Steele. From LA..." I say quietly.

"Hey, everyone! We have an American classmate this year. Ana Steele from Los Angeles!" He announces, making me flush scarlet, wishing I could disappear as all attention is now on me.

"Cool!" Someone says, but silence falls as they finally notice the professor standing by the door.

"Sit down, class," he says and everyone obeys. "Ana Steele? Who's Ana Steele?" He asks, startling me.

"Here," I say, standing up awkwardly.

"Well, hello. I've heard a lot of great things about you. It is nice to meet you," he says, causing me to stare at him stunned and confused, while the entire class turns to stare back at me.

_Oh, boy._ I blink perplexed, but his warm smile helps me calm down a bit.

"Very well, you can sit down now. I am Professor Pierre Gérard for those who are new here, and I will be teaching you Product Design, in continuation to the course we had last year."

I'm having a hard time concentrating on the course with Laurent by my side, my mind also trying to figure out how come the professor knows about me.

By the time the class is over I inhale sharply, eager to get some fresh air.

"Hey, are you ok?" Laurent asks worriedly.

"Yes, I'm fine. I just need to get out a bit," I reply.

"Mind if I join you for a walk?"

_As a matter of fact I do!_ I look at him, hoping to find a way to escape, but I come up with nothing. "I guess," I mumble.

"Come on. Our next class is in two hours," he smiles.

WE SET OFF ON the streets of Paris and I cannot decide why he preferred to come with me instead of staying with his friends and doing some catching up.

"Is this your first time in Paris?" He asks, curious.

"Um, yes... I came to visit it with my parents and fell in love with the city, so I decided to transfer and study here for one semester, or probably the whole year. I'm not sure yet."

"Where did you study before?"

"At UCLA."

"Seriously? Wow! I would love to study there too," he says, looking rather dreamy.

"How come?"

"Well, just as you fell for my country, I am curious about yours. I've never been, but I hope to go one day. I've always thought of Los Angeles as a fascinating place, suitable for an artist, like me."

"Really? What do you do?" I ask as he confirms my belief of him being an artist. He certainly looks like one.

"I paint a lot in my free time. Nothing makes me happier than that. It's something that helps me evade reality."

"That's nice. I feel the same way about photography. I've recently discovered my passion for it, so now I snap a lot of pictures wherever I go and then arrange them into an album that I'm working on."

"Wow, could I see it? Maybe I could paint some of the things you've captured on camera," he smiles.

"Um... Sure... If you wish," I murmur.

He smirks pleased. "I can show you the city. Maybe you'll find new, interesting places to photograph," he offers.

"You don't have to waste your time with me. I can manage on my own," I smile a little, not wanting to sound harsh or offend him in any way.

"Oh, don't be silly. I'd love to do it. While we're at it, you can tell me more about the USA and I'll tell you everything about France. We can help each other," he winks.

"Alright," I say, not finding the strength to refuse him, even though I decided not to have any more male friends.

"C'est magnifique!" He beams, making me smile a bit.

"Did you find out about everyone else's country of origin?" I giggle.

"You bet I did!" He laughs. "What can I say? I'm interested to discover new things about places I've never been to, so why not hang out with people from the respective places?"

"True," I agree. "They all like you. Seeing you made everybody in the room smile."

"I know. I like them too. We became a close group, so seeing each other again made us all happy. I'm sure you will find them nice people as well."

"I'm... not a very sociable person and certainly don't enjoy being the center of attention," I inform him.

"Oh... Sorry about that. I didn't think you'd feel uncomfortable when I introduced you to the whole class," he apologizes.

"You know now," I offer him a shy smile that he reciprocates.

I WALK HOME WHEN classes end and find Rover waiting eagerly for me by the door. He meows and rushes to me as soon as I step inside.

"Hey, buddy," I giggle and pick him up, moved by his affection for me. "Missed me, lovely?" I kiss his fluffy head and go searching for my mom.

"Ana, you're home!" She beams, exiting her room. "How was your first day?" She asks excitedly.

"It was actually nice. My classmates are cool, except for this girl Denise, who's been giving me weird looks all day. Don't know what her problem is," I shrug.

"Hmm, who knows? Don't mind her," she suggests.

I nod. "And there's this guy, Laurent. He's been tailing me ceaselessly. He's nice, but a little too talkative and full of energy for me. After spending the day with him I just want to crawl on my bed and sleep. He's a painter too and I made a mistake by telling him about me passion for photography. Now he wants me to show him my album for inspiration."

She laughs, amused. "He's that bad? Maybe he is just curious about you. I told you you'd knock them dead with this outfit," she grins and hugs me lovingly.

"Oh, don't remind me. These boots are killing me. I'm going back to my Converse," I say, to tease her a little bit.

"No, you're not. Keep your Converse for recreational activities only and dress pretty for school."

"Mom, I don't want to be pretty. I don't want guys to look at me. I want to be left alone so I can focus on my studies. The last thing I need right now is another dude to crush me like everybody else did," I sigh and go to my room.

It doesn't take long before she brings me my food on a tray and cuddles next to me in bed.

"I'm sorry, Mom. I keep being mean to you and I hate that," I mutter sadly.

"Don't worry... I know you never mean it," she kisses my cheek and I hide in her arms, thankful for having her.

* * *

A couple of weeks fly by way too fast for my liking. More comfortable with my new surroundings, I enjoy my time at school a lot more, feeling accepted by my classmates and pleased with the professors.

Crazy Laurent keeps tiring me with his continuous babble, but I soon discover that he's a really nice guy and extremely talented and passionate about everything he does.

He did not forget about his promise to show me beautiful locations around town and he managed to surprise me every time I accepted to join him somewhere.

"Why are you always so sad?" He asks one day.

"No, I'm not," I reply, not wanting to talk to him about it.

"Yes, you are. I can see it in your eyes. Plus, whenever we pass by a couple kissing, you turn away and become grumpy. What's going on? Are you missing someone? Someone back home?"

"Laurent, please. I don't want to talk about it. Stop nagging me."

"Alright... I'll wait until you're ready. You can talk to me, you know?" He says kindly.

I look down, struggling not to break down and cry in front of him.

"Oh, Ana... You don't look so good," he sighs and puts his arm around my shoulders. "Let's go back inside. The next course is in ten minutes. We'll talk about this when you're ready, ok?"

I nod and follow him to the entrance, upset that he made me think of Christian again.

"Ana?" Someone calls right when we're at the door and I quickly turn around when I recognize that voice.

"Professor Harrison," I blink, gaping at him bemused.


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER THREE

* * *

I STARE AT THE professor speechless as he approaches me with a big smile plastered on his face. Laurent's grip tightens around my arm and I turn to him confused. Their eyes meet for a moment as if measuring each other up, making me feel rather trapped and uncomfortable.

"Ana! Wow! Look at you! I almost didn't recognize you with this new look," the professor says, grinning at me joyous.

"Professor... Um... How come you're here?" I ask, curiosity taking over me.

"Well... when you contacted me and asked me for help to get transferred here, I in turn got in touch with my old friend, Professor Pierre Gérard and he helped me out with your situation. He then invited me to take part in a two days lecture held by the University for all the students studying Interior Design here. I've done that a couple of years ago too," he explains.

"Oh, I see... Now this explains why the professor said that he heard a lot about me," I murmur.

"Yes, I told him how good, talented and passionate you are," he beams.

"Um... Excuse me, but... Ana, we'll be late for class," Laurent reminds me.

I nod. "Professor, this is my classmate Laurent," I introduce them and they shake hands briefly. "Professor Harrison is the best in our field at UCLA," I inform my friend, whose face brightens, curiosity kicking in.

"It is nice to meet you, sir," he says politely.

"Good to meet you too," the professor replies. "I don't want to keep you from getting to your class, but... Ana, do you think we could meet for dinner and talk?"

I blink, knowing that it would be rude for me to refuse him after all the help he's given me. There is no way out for me, and as much as I feel like saying no to avoid being questioned for my decision to come here, I simply cannot bring myself to do it.

"Sure," I murmur and he smiles again.

After settling on a location where to meet, we part ways, so Laurent and I manage to get to our course on time.

He is strangely quiet for the rest of the day, sending uneasy sensations my way and I can't figure out what's bothering him.

"Laurent... Is something bothering you? You hardly said a word all day, which is so not you."

"I... I wanted to ask you to dinner as well... But he did it before me," he grunts, surprising me.

"Oh," I blink. "We could go on a different day. I... He's my professor and he helped me a lot, so I couldn't refuse him. I'm very surprised to see him here, though," I say, still having a hard time believing it.

His eyes widen. "So... you'd come to dinner with me tomorrow?" He asks, sounding quite hopeful. "After that I'd like to take you to my studio and show you some of my paintings," he smiles.

"Alright, I guess we could do that," I accept.

"Excellent! Thank you," he says happily. "Tomorrow is Saturday so I believe we could stay out longer. I promise to walk you home."

I give him a small smile that quickly fades away when I spot Denise approaching us.

"Laurent... we're going to a movie tonight. Join us," she says, totally ignoring me.

"Oh, I'm sorry, but I'll have to pass this time. I'm working on a new painting and I want to finish it by November. Hopefully it will be elected to be part of the exposition that will be held here. I don't want to miss it. But you guys have fun."

"Seriously? You hardly ever hang out with us lately," she complains. "But you sure have time for her, don't you?" She frowns and gives me an awkward look before she takes off upset, leaving him dumbstruck.

"What the hell just happened?" He asks puzzled.

I sigh. "I think that she likes you. She probably hates me because you do spend a lot of time with me," I say and raise a questioning brow.

"Nah... She's just a friend," he says, giving me the impression that he's trying to avoid talking about the part related to him being with me a lot.

"She may be for you, but it's possible that she sees you as more than that," I explain.

His brow creases slightly as he assesses my words. "No, don't think so," he replies eventually, shaking his head.

I shrug and give him a brief hug. "See you tomorrow then."

"Yes," he smiles. "Take care, Ana!"

DAD IS WATCHING TV when I get home, staring blankly at the screen with Rover by his side, looking bored to death.

"Oh, hey dear," he greets me when I show up.

"Hi, Dad," I kiss his cheek and sit down next to him.

"Your mom is out shopping, so..."

"That's ok. I want to stay with you a bit," I say, eliciting a smile from him. "You don't like it here much, do you?"

"I do, but... I miss working, you know? Doing something to fill my time with... I am not used to sitting around doing nothing. Other than that, it's fine," he assures me.

"Dad, if you're not happy you are free to go home. I can take care of myself," I insist.

"Absolutely not! I'd be worried all the time. Plus, your mom would never agree to leave. We feel good just by having you close. I'm sure we'll find something to do. For now we are focusing on your physical and emotional wellbeing."

I fall silent next to him for a while, trying to gather my thoughts. "Can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead," he says, eyeing me attentively.

"What do you think of an older guy dating a young woman?" I ask, curious to find out his opinion on the matter.

He blinks confused, taken aback by my question and I instantly regret asking him that. "Ana, why would you want to know that?"

I shrug, not wanting to say more. "Just making conversation, Dad..."

He looks at me disapprovingly, convinced that I'm not telling him everything, but decides to answer me anyway. "A few years older it's ok and probably even indicated. Girls usually mature faster than boys. But... if the guy is old enough to be her father, then I find it rather ridiculous. I am in no position to judge anybody or the choices that other people make, but I don't consider it to be an ideal situation. I don't want that for you either," he informs me, looking at me cautious and inquisitive.

"Relax... I'm not into that either, don't fret. And I'm totally over boys for the moment. It will be hard, extremely hard for anyone to win my trust after all that I've been subjected to," I say, lowering my head.

He takes my hand in his and gives it a gentle squeeze. "I've been through a bad breakup too," he confesses and my eyes shoot at him in surprise.

"You have? You never said anything," I blink. "Does Mom know?"

"Yes, she does... she was the one who helped me pick myself up and carry on. Her gentleness and loving kind made me believe in love again. I've been with her ever since and I'm thankful each day for having her in my life. Carla is the best woman that's ever crossed my path and I love her so much for everything she's given me. Especially for having you," he says, getting emotional and kisses my hair.

I smile coyly, moved by his words. "So... what happened with that woman?" I dare ask.

"I was in my twenties, like you, madly in love with a girl one year older than me. Two years into our relationship she decided that I was no longer what she needed and left me, without explaining herself much. I didn't know what to believe, what I did wrong. She really hurt me. It took me quite some time before I accepted your mother. Because I was afraid I'd get hurt again, just like you are now, so I understand if you want to be alone for a while. Honestly, I don't know what advice to give you. In my case, things went more than well with your mom. I wish it were the same for you with whoever life may bring you. You've had enough bad luck with men," he murmurs worried.

"It's like I'm cursed to be unhappy," I whine, leaning back on the couch. "I'm afraid, Dad. I simply cannot trust anybody. Christian... I had high hopes with him and he crushed them in a moment. If my childhood friend, the man who swore never to cheat on me because he said he considered it to be the lowest thing a guy can do, broke that promise and hurt me so badly, then how could I ever believe a word they're saying? They make me feel used, as if all they want is to get me in their beds and fool around with others behind my back. Maybe they don't find me satisfying enough in bed," I voice my thoughts, forgetting for a moment that I'm talking to my father.

"Oh, boy," he mumbles, a little uncomfortable.

I flush crimson and look away, avoiding his gaze embarrassed.

"Ana, some men are pigs, just like some women are horrible and cruel. To be honest I never expected Christian to be like this. When I saw you two together it was as if I was seeing myself with your mother. Pure, unconditional love... He acted like a guy in love. He did many nice things for you. Maybe it would have been better if you confronted him and heard his side before jumping to conclusions. I'm not taking his side. If what you heard is true and he did lie to you about what had happened that night, then he is a pig. But still... leaving without saying a word or letting him know how you felt was probably not the best way to handle the situation."

I sigh. "I wrote him a letter. I just couldn't bear facing him. It hurt too much. He assured me that nothing had happened and yet he broke down when she told him she was pregnant. Why would he have reacted like that if he were innocent? It doesn't make sense," I whimper saddened once more.

"I wish I had an answer, sweetheart, but I don't. At some point, when we return home, you will have to face him again. You cannot run from him forever. Hopefully by then you will feel less hurt and heal somehow. I know that it is hard for you to think of the men around you as potential partners, but if you don't give anyone a chance you will never know who is right for you. If I hadn't given your mom a chance because of my insecurities, I would have never experienced so much happiness. I wouldn't have had you and probably I would have ended up alone and grumpy. What I'm saying is that you should take your time and see what happens. Don't reject everyone just because you're afraid."

I listen carefully to his words, but even though they make sense, I still can't see myself in a relationship again.

"Hey, guys..." mom sneaks up on us, smiling pleased to see us.

"Hey," we greet her back and accept her kisses, glad to see her too.

"I bought some delicacies to cook for you," she beams.

"Oh... Guys... My professor from UCLA, the one who helped me transfer here, is in town for a lecture and invited me to dinner. I couldn't refuse him since he helped me out. Is it ok with you if I go?" I murmur.

"Sure, dear... But don't stay out too late," mom replies.

"How old is this professor?" Dad asks suspiciously.

"He's 41," I say impassively, wishing that I knew what he's thinking of.

"How long is he staying?" He goes on with his interrogatory.

"Don't know, Dad... He said it's a two day lecture. I'm assuming that he's gonna leave once it's over," I shrug.

"Alright. Have a nice diner then... We'll be waiting for your return."

I nod and retreat to my room to get ready.

PROFESSOR HARRISON IS ALREADY waiting at a table when I arrive at the Villa Pereire restaurant, which he had chosen for our dinner. Spacious and beautifully decorated, with golden casts, a red Chinese ceiling and sumptuous chandeliers, the place looks a little too romantic for my taste.

He waves hello as soon as he spots me and sits up to greet me, looking happy and pleased.

I take a deep breath before I reluctantly approach him, praying that he'd not be too intrusive. "Good evening, sir," I say, a little disconcerted to find him dressed up for the occasion, while I'm simply wearing a pair of black jeans, white shirt, red sweater and comfortable shoes.

"Ana... I'm glad you could make it," he beams and pulls the seat for me. "I would like you to call me Ethan, please," he says and I sit down feeling even weirder.

"Sir, I –"

"Please... Enough with the sir thing," he cuts me off, returning to his seat. "Let's go over the menu and then we can talk. Shall we?" He smiles.

I nod confused, but do what he says until I finally decide to try some duck breast with spinach, curious about the combination between the two.

"What would you like to drink?" He asks.

"Just water, please," I reply and he beckons the waiter, who comes and takes our order.

"So, tell me... How have you been? Do you like it here? Is it how you had hoped it to be?"

"Yes, Paris is great. I'm having a good time," I mumble.

"I see, but... How come you decided to come here? I thought you loved it at UCLA. I was really surprised when you told me you wanted to transfer here," he says, eyeing me intently.

"I... I was just curious to explore new places. Going to school in Europe has always attracted me in a way. I told myself why not? So when I came to visit Paris and heard about the university here, I decided to give it a try. Thank you for your help, by the way," I murmur.

"Oh, no problem. I told you that you could look for me if you ever needed help and I'm glad that you did," he smiles. "Um... What about... Christian? Is he here too?" He asks, his eyes narrowing a little as he awaits my answer.

My heart sinks when he mentions his name, totally uncomfortable and unwilling to discuss these issues with him. "He's... not," I stutter. "He's fine, though," I add quickly, hoping that I could get away with it.

"You don't look so good, Ana. Are you ok?" He asks worried. "You've bleached," he blinks.

I look away, trying to get a grip of myself. "I'm ok," I attempt to assure him, but unfortunately don't sound too convincing.

"No, you're not. Ana... you can talk to me," he insists, his hand extending across the table to touch mine.

I pull my hand back before he can reach it. "Sir... Ethan... I'd rather not talk about it right now. Why don't you tell me how things are going at UCLA instead? I hope that you didn't tell my friends where I am. You promised me not to. The thing is, I'm planning to surprise them with tickets to come and spend the winter holidays here with me," I change the subject in my effort to distract him.

He straightens his back, staring at me like a hawk, not looking pleased with my refusal to answer his questions. "I didn't tell anyone. But I can assure you that they miss you. Apparently you did not contact them all summer and now that you didn't show up at school, they've been worried about you. I think you should at least talk to them and let them know you're ok," he suggests.

"I'll do that as soon as I have the whole thing planned. I miss them too and I'm sure that everything would be a lot funnier if they were here with me. They're great friends," I murmur, thinking about them.

The food arrives and we begin to eat in silence. I can feel the tension building up in between us as I cannot find a normal topic to discuss with him. For a moment I wonder if he's still thinking about me in a romantic way and a shiver rushes down my spine, making me flush.

"So this guy Laurent... he seemed quite protective of you," he insinuates, causing me to question his words.

"He's my friend," I say, not lifting my gaze from my plate to avoid his own. "Laurent is a funny, sociable guy who everybody loves. He's like the heart and soul of the class. It's impossible not to smile around him. To be honest, I don't think I've ever met someone as friendly and full of life like him. Not to mention how talented he is. He showed me some pictures of the paintings he made and I think they're awesome."

"I'm surprised that Christian would leave you alone unguarded, considering how angry he was with me when we met," he say, clearly not wanting to let it go.

I give him an awkward look as I chew my food, my appetite gone once again. I feel like kicking him for bringing him up all the time, but I force myself to maintain composure and not fall into his trap.

"Ok, I get... You don't want to talk about it," he mumbles defeated.

"Thank you for understanding," I reply firmly, maybe a bit harsher than I intended.

"How are the courses here? Do you find them more interesting than the ones at UCLA?" He changes the subject.

"Not necessarily. It's different, but I cannot say I prefer one over the other. I like them just as much," I say and he nods approvingly.

When we step outside once we've finished our dinner, we pose by the entrance for a moment.

"Thank you, Ana, for accepting to dine with me," he says, looking down, his brow creasing slightly. "You know... my feelings for you have not changed. I'll be waiting for you... if you ever need me again. Good night," he murmurs and walks away without giving me the chance to say anything, and I'm left gaping after him perplexed.

_Oh, give me a break!_ I sigh and head in the opposite direction, wishing that I had found the strength to say no to his invitation.

I SHIFT AND TURN in bed all night, unable to sleep. Ethan's appearance has only managed to unsettle me again, and despite being thankful to him for his help, I still wish I could find a way to get him permanently off my back. _Why do I always attract the wrong people?_ I feel like I'm a magnet to unwanted attention. I sigh and press Rover against my chest, hoping that his soft purrs would help me settle down and get a few hours of sleep.

Morning comes with a lovely weather, much too pleasant for this time of the year. I don't get out of bed until around noon and I'm thankful to my parents for not walking in to check on me. After taking a bath I fix my hair and put on some comfortable clothes before finally leaving me room.

"Hey... you slept a lot, dear," mom beams, pleased.

"Yeah, I did," I say, even thought I did not sleep longer than five hours in total.

"You must be starving since you skipped breakfast," she says and hurries to bring me some food. "How was your dinner last night?"

"It was ok. I thanked him for his help and he told me a little bit about what's going on at UCLA. He was surprised by my sudden decision to come here. Anyway, I hope I lied him well regarding my reasons," I shrug, not eager to recall my awkward dinner with him. "Today Laurent is taking me out. We'll have dinner and then he'll show me his paintings at his studio," I inform her.

"Oh, good. It's nice to see you getting out of the house for a change," she smiles.

"Yeah... He showed me cool places so far, so I guess I enjoy accompanying him around town."

LAURENT COMES TO PICK me up around four thirty, which is sooner than I expected, but I do feel the need to go for a walk before dinner, so I'm glad to see him earlier.

"How are you today?" He asks, flashing his now overly familiar smile.

"Stiff... I actually needed a walk. So what are the plans for today?"

"You'll see," he smirks and I reciprocate, curious to see where he's taking me.

We stroll along the banks of the Seine River until we stop in front of an older guy drawing portraits for tourists.

"This should be fun. Come on," he says and asks the man to draw two portraits of us together, one for me and another for him.

I shake my head at him amused but sit down and obey, impressed to see the man's work.

He finishes the first and starts drawing the second one, but Laurent's sudden whimper startles us both.

"Oh, no!" He whines. "We've got to go! It's almost six and I booked a table for us at a restaurant in the Eiffel Tower for six thirty!" He blinks and pays the man for both portraits but we only get to take one, since the other is not finished yet. "You can keep it," he says to me warmly, while on our way to the tower.

"Thanks. This is actually great. I like this city. There are so many talented people," I say, staring at it impressed.

THE ATMOSPHERE OF LUXURY at the 58 Tour Eiffel restaurant is mind-blowing and I'm instantly fascinated by the amazing view of the city that it offers. As soon as we walk in a hostess approaches us and kindly walks us to our table.

"Wow! This is magnificent! I've never dined in the tower before," I smile at him thankful.

"I knew you'd like it, Ana," he grins. "I have a friend who works here. Usually you'd have to call two weeks earlier to book a table, but luckily someone dropped out at the last minute so I took it instead," he explains happily.

"Lucky us indeed," I giggle, determined to give myself a chance to enjoy this one of a kind experience.

The delicious food, stunning view and the pleasant company of my friend lift my spirits a bit, and I'm glad to find out more about him as we savor a glass of champagne. By the time we leave the tower and take a taxi to his studio, I feel a little lightheaded and carefree.

"This is it," he smiles, letting me walk in first. He then follows me inside and turns the lights on before closing the door.

My jaw drops when I see this large room filled with impressive works of art that simply leave me speechless. "Oh my God! Are all of them yours?" I ask, mesmerized.

"Yes. All the paintings that I've done along the years. I told you it's my passion," he smiles and allows me to walk around and explore.

"What are you working on now? You told Denise you were busy with something."

"It's this one," he replies, taking me to it. "This is actually about you," he saying, showing me a painting slip into two sides. On the left side, painted in black and gray I can recognize my eyes and mouth next to a broken wing.

I blink, taken aback by how sad it looks.

"This side represents you when you're sad. Which is pretty much all the time and I wish I knew why," he mumbles. "Oh the right side, though, I plan to use bright colors and portray a happy you, how you should always be."

His words bring tears to my eyes and I bite my lip to avoid crying in front of him.

"It's a guy, isn't it? It's the only explanation that I could come up with. I see the pain in your eyes whenever we walk by a happy couple. What happened to you, Ana? Please let me help you," he begs and I can no longer stop the tears from falling. His arms wrap around me and I weep, my face hidden in his chest and my hands fisting around his shirt, tired of denying my feelings for Christian.

* * *

**Author's note: Ana finally meets Christian in the next chapter, so thank you all for being patient enough and reading this far. ;)**


	9. Chapter 9

**_Author's note: Hi, guys. After reading your reviews I wonder whether I should take the part with Christian sleeping around with girls at his club out. When I wrote that part I wanted to point out how broken and devastated he was by the thought of losing Ana and probably never seeing her again. He was not his normal self anymore and that was his way of punishing himself for what he thought he had done. I'm not defending him, I know it's wrong. But he reached a point where he simply couldn't think straight anymore or care about what was going on with him. He stopped doing that as soon as he found out that he was innocent._**

**_I will let the part in for now. It shows just how lost he felt because of the situation he was in._**

**_Enjoy the next chapter!_**

* * *

CHAPTER FOUR

* * *

HIS LIPS PRESS AGAINST my forehead in his attempt to appease me, his hand slowly combing through my hair. As much as I hate talking about or remembering Christian and what he had done to me, I somehow feel the need to get it off my chest and Laurent seems to be trustworthy enough for me to explain my situation to him.

His meek gaze is like a healing balm to my soul and I sit down on a chair, not knowing where to start.

He settles in a lotus position on the floor before me, his hands gently touching my knees, his eyes locked on mine as he awaits my explanation.

"Christian... was my childhood friend," I begin faintly, looking down at my knotted fingers. "I've loved him all my life, but when I was six my family moved out of town and we didn't see each other for twelve years, until last summer when we met again. We started dating, we moved in together, we had plans to take the next step and get married, but then he blew it. He lied to me, he disappointed me..." I sniff, struggling with the tears. "He slept with his ex and got her pregnant and now I'm an emotional wreck, unable to trust men any longer. Christian and all the others before him managed to hurt me. So I came to the conclusion that love is simply not for me," I mutter dejected.

"I knew it," he sighs. "It had to be a guy to damage you so badly. It all makes sense now. Why you hardly ever smile, why you're grumpy most of the time. It's outrageous what he did to you," he says, sickened.

"I'd rather not talk about it," I whisper hoarsely. "It hurts too much, and the more I try to forget him, the stronger the pain gets."

"We won't talk about him. I promise. Now that I know what your problem is I will do everything in my power to distract you and make you smile again," he murmurs and kisses my hands before giving them a gentle squeeze. "Is this the reason why you came here, though? To escape him?"

"Yes... I needed to get away for a while. This seemed like a good alternative. I'm glad I came here. I like it..."

"So he doesn't know you're here?"

I shake my head. "And I hope it stays that way."

I GET IN BED at night feeling somewhat relieved that I no longer have to hide from him and thankful for having such a nice friend who understands and cherishes me.

I close my eyes once Rover settles by my side and it doesn't take long before I doze off, calmed by his soft purrs.

* * *

Skillful hands skim over my naked body and my breath hitches in anticipation. His playful tongue traces a trail from just beneath my ear to my neck and then lower to my chest. His sexy growls send charges of pleasure throughout my body and that sweet familiar rush of warmth returns, making my knees part instinctively to accommodate him.

I drape my arms around him and a low moan escapes me as he finally completes me. His moves are slow and gentle, almost as if he is afraid to move. I throb beneath him agitated, craving more but he doesn't seem to notice.

Our mingled bodies satisfy each other creating a delicious friction between them, and his rhythm changes soon, becoming faster and stronger. The rougher he thrusts, the more our pleasure intensifies and the harder it is for me to keep quiet.

"Please don't leave me, Ana," Christian whispers huskily as he comes, eliciting a loud groan from me and causing me to squirm as I succumb to my overpowering orgasm.

* * *

I wake up with a start, drenched in sweat and with my hearth threatening to burst out of my chest. The lump in my throat only increases my discomfort.

"Damn you, Christian!" I whine, tired of having erotic dreams of us making love. I notice it's morning already, so I get up and take a quick refreshing shower before returning to bed wearing something comfortable. Having no plans for today, I decide to spend my Sunday lying in here with a book. Mom only interrupts me a couple of times to bring me food, but my heart is in my throat when she opens the door in the evening and ushers Laurent inside.

"Hi," he beams, flashing a broad smile.

_Shit!_ "Hey, you," I blink and exchange an awkward look with my mom, upset that she did not announce me before bringing him into my room. I look around at the mess, but he doesn't really care, his eyes searching my startled face.

"Do you need a moment?" He asks, guessing my thoughts, and I nod thankful. He smiles before he exits.

I jump out of bed and scoop the clothes off the floor, quickly tidying the room as best as I can. Then I grab the first bra that I see and yank my t-shirt off to put it on. I choose a blouse, but decide to leave my sweatpants on, and take a deep breath before I open the door to let him back in.

He chuckles and enters amused. "Don't panic, Ana. I only came to hang out. I was getting bored at home, so I decided to pay you a visit. Is this a bad time?"

"Um, no... I was just reading to kill time. I'm pretty bored as well," I confess and return to bed, covering myself up to my waist. "Take a seat..."

He smiles and settles in bed next to me. "I brought a DVD that will probably amuse you. It's 'Mr. Bean's Holiday' in which he wins a trip to Cannes and the action takes place here in France. I don't know if you've seen it."

"I haven't, but I've heard of it," I give him a small smile. "We can watch it," I say and bring my laptop, causing him to smile as well.

"Your mother is nice," he says while I busy myself with the DVD.

"Yeah, I'm sure she's excited that you came to 'rescue' me. She doesn't like seeing me alone," I roll my eyes.

"That must be because she knows you're hurt and sometimes being in the company of other people helps you forget about your problems, even for a little while."

"It does. But I don't mind being on my own either," I reply and hit play before I accommodate myself better on my pillow.

He moves closer to me and leans his head on my pillow as well. Despite the nearness, I'm surprised by how comfortable I feel around him and decide to allow myself to enjoy the movie and his company. It is hard not to laugh or smile and I'm thankful that he chose this to watch together.

"He's amazing... Rowan Atkinson... hard not to love him," I say amused.

"I never get bored of watching him," he smiles. "Look, he's visiting La Défense now," he says, referring to the famous business district of Paris with the Grande Arche being its central and iconic building. "Have you been there?"

"No, but I'd like to go."

"I'll take you," he grins, always eager to show me something new.

"How come you're not working on your painting?"

"I felt like taking a break today and spend some time with my muse," he smirks.

"I'm your muse?" I giggle.

"Aha... What's so funny?" He raises an eyebrow at me.

"You could have chosen a better one. I don't think I can inspire anybody," I murmur.

"I actually think you're perfect. You're human, down to Earth and you don't pretend to be something that you're not. I like that about you. I've met a lot of superficial girls. Even in our class there are a few rich ones who would buy pretty much everything, useless or not, in order to show their status and be as fancy and extravagant as possible. And then you come along and blow my mind with how simple and nice and normal you are," he says, eyeing me intently.

I blink repeatedly, losing myself in his profound gaze. "Is Denise one of those girls? Is that why you don't want to hang out with her as much as you used to?" I ask shyly.

"Yeah... Denise is one of them... always trying to impress the others with her daddy's wealth," he rolls his eyes and I cannot contain myself from laughing. "She is one of the divas," he smiles. "I like our classmates because they're all talented and unique. Denise is just as gifted, but instead of working to improve herself, she is more preoccupied with other meaningless things. That's what I don't like about her. I guess I hung out with her so much because I saw her potential. Then I discovered her true self and felt rather disappointed," he shrugs.

"Did you guys date?" I dare ask.

"No... She wanted to, but I always found a civilized way to turn her down. She eventually agreed to be just friends."

"She still wants more."

"She can't have more," he replies, leaning slowly toward me.

My eyes widen when I guess his intentions, but before I can react, his lips are locked on mine and I find myself inexplicably kissing him back.

"No," I whisper when I pull away, but he steals another kiss before finally backing off. "Laurent, I can't... I'm broken and I don't want to hurt you," I mumble saddened.

"Ana," he says softly, taking my hand in his. "I will wait for you. I can help you forget him. If only you let me..."

I look away confused, not knowing how to proceed without hurting his feelings or losing his friendship.

"There's no rush. I just want you to know that I am here for you whenever you need me and that I will not give up until I see your beautiful smile again."

Mom interrupts us to announce dinner, so we both dine with my parents, who keep eyeing him mysteriously, obviously curious about him.

"Thank you for dinner, Mrs. Steele," Laurent says, smiling at her.

"My pleasure, dear," she grins and he shakes hands with my father before I walk him to the door.

"See you tomorrow, Ana," he murmurs and kisses my forehead. He gives me a gentle, reassuring look before he finally walks away.

I close the door and shake my head as I walk by my mother.

"Oh, what did I do now?" She asks, unable to hide the happiness in her voice.

"Don't get any ideas," I say to them and retreat to my room.

MONDAY MORNING BEGINS WITH Professor Harrison's lecture and I'm a bit nervous about meeting him after he confirmed me that he still has feelings for me. His eyes search for me as soon as he walks through the door accompanied by Professor Gérard and I lower myself on my seat next to Laurent.

"What's wrong?" He whispers confused.

"Nothing... I'm not in the mood for classes today," I murmur, trying to hide behind the boy in front of me, but the professor spots me anyway.

"Is there something wrong with your professor?" He asks suspiciously.

"Laurent, I'm ok," I say and place my hand on his thigh to shut him up. I feel him tense so I quickly remove my hand to avoid any unwanted situations.

"Class... I want you to meet a dear friend of mine, Professor Ethan Harrison, who teaches at the prestigious University of California, Los Angeles. He is here to hold a lecture on Tends in Product Design," Professor Gérard announces, grabbing everyone's attention.

When Ethan starts his lecture I can hardly focus on his words and his constant glancing at me only increases my discomfort and nervousness. _Why the hell am I so nervous? Get a grip of yourself, Ana! You must look like a lunatic!_ I mentally scold myself, annoyed by my reactions to him. Having an affair with a man twice my age is not my favorite thing in the world. I cannot see myself involved in a relationship with him, so it could only be an affair. _But then how will I be able to look at him throughout our classes? No, no, this is impossible! What are you doing, Ana? You're never gonna let him touch you! Never! _I frown at myself, despising the idea.

At the end of his lecture the professors inform us about a class trip to the Palace of Versailles after lunch and I turn to Laurent, actually excited to go.

"That's nice," Laurent replies to my unspoken words with a smile on his face.

"I'll go home to grab my camera," I grin.

"I'm coming with you," he says and follows me out the door.

THE PALACE IS THE first thing we visit when we arrive there and I'm instantly blown away by the beauty of the place. The grandeur of the interiors, the old exquisite furniture and the architecture of the time fascinate me and I feel like I'm stepping into a different world. The magnificent Hall of Mirrors enchants me the most so I spend quite some time snapping pictures from every possible angle to capture its splendor.

Reluctantly, I follow the rest of the group to visit the gardens as well.

"It's much more spectacular during the summer with all kinds of flowers everywhere and the fountains still working," Laurent says to me.

"It is beautiful nonetheless," I reply, snapping a goofy picture of him.

"Hey," he laughs and puts his arms around my waist.

I giggle and do a close-up of his face while he tries to evade me amused.

"I see you're still friends with the camera," Ethan says and I hastily pull away from Laurent. "Good for you," he goes on, staring at us both with utmost curiosity. "Hey, Pierre," he calls, causing the entire class to turn to him. "What do you think of my student, Ana? She's an amazing photographer. You should see the pictures she took at the Grand Canyon. Perfection..." he says, not taking his eyes off me.

_Shit! Why are you doing this to me? _I blink, not pleased to be the center of attention once more.

"I think she's a talented, gifted artist," Professor Pierre replies to him, smiling at me encouragingly.

"Speaking of perfection... I think you should see Laurent's paintings," I say to shift the attention from me to him, and approach Ethan. "I took some pictures," I murmur and show them to him on my camera. "Don't you think he deserves a scholarship to study at UCLA?" I press him.

"They're good," he agrees. "I'll see what I can do," he mutters and I turn to Laurent, smiling victoriously.

"Thank you, professor. How about a group photo, guys?" I suggest and everyone gathers on the stairs leading to the palace and smiles at my camera. After a few shots Laurent takes it from me and I join my classmates and let him take the picture.

IT IS LATE AFTERNOON when the bus takes us back to our school. From there we decide to go somewhere and have dinner together with the professors as well.

"Can I have a word with you?" Ethan asks once we've finished eating.

I nod and join him to a different table.

"Does Christian know about this boy you're fooling around with?" He asks, looking at me through narrowed eyes, taking me aback with the straightforwardness of his question.

"Look... Ethan..." I whisper his name. "First of all I am not fooling around with anybody. Second, if you must know, Christian and I are no longer together," I say, forcing myself not to show my true emotions in front of him. "And third... with all due respects, I don't think I have to explain myself in front of you. I respect your feelings for me, but I don't feel the same. I'm sorry, but this is simply too awkward for me. You are twice my age, you know? I can't... you're my teacher. I can't think of you in any other way. I tried, but it didn't work. Now please... move on and stop fantasizing about me because it's not going to happen," I mumble firmly, hoping to make him understand the situation once and for all.

"I see," he sighs. "I had to try, though. If Christian couldn't keep you with him, then a guy like me certainly has got no chance of success. Thank you for being honest with me. I guess you're right. I should move on," he gets up.

"Professor... I... I didn't mean to sound so harsh. What happened between me and Christian is no one else's business, which is why I'd rather not discuss it. For now all I want is to be left alone to focus on my studies. I hope you do find the right woman for you one day. You deserve to be happy."

"So do you, Ana..." he says and returns to his friend.

* * *

Ethan stays in Paris for the entire week in which we meet occasionally, but talk about anything except his feelings for me and mine for Christian. On Saturday morning I join him to the airport where we say goodbye and once more I ask him not to tell anyone where I am.

As I leave the airport I decide to visit Laurent at his studio, certain that I'd find him working on the painting.

I knock on the door when I arrive and to my surprise an older guy opens it and eyes me questioningly.

"Um – "

"Oh! You are Ana, right?" He blinks.

"Yes, how did you – "

"Come on in," he cuts me off for the second time and my eyes nearly pop out of my orbits when I enter and see countless paintings of me displayed across the room. "I'm Bernard, Laurent's friend and owner of this place."

"I thought this was his," I murmur confused. "Where is he?" I ask when he says nothing in return.

"Oh, he's out selling some paintings," he says, returning to the painting he's working on.

"What?" I ask bemused.

"Shit!" He grunts, eyeing me worriedly. "I am not supposed to talk about this," he murmurs, chewing on his lip with remorse.

"Please tell me," I plead, moving closer to him.

He sighs. "He'll kill me if I do."

"I won't tell him that you told me. Please..." I insist.

"Ok, fine... He's selling his paintings to get money and take you to nice places and buy you beautiful things," he says, looking troubled for exposing his friend.

I stare at him dumbfounded. "But... Why? I don't understand. How can he afford paying the tuition of € 12,000 every year to study at the university if he's poor?" I blink perplexed.

"He sells his work and I contributed to that as well. Please don't tell anyone else at school. Nobody knows," he worries.

"But... Oh my God," I fist my hands in my hair, upset that he struggles so much for me, and I mentally scold myself for allowing him to take me to the finest restaurants and paying for everything we did wherever we went. "This is not fair! He should have told me," I complain.

"The man is in love with you. You're all that he talks about. I think it's pretty obvious," he says, pointing at the paintings of me.

I shake my head in disbelief. "Where is he selling his paintings?"

He doesn't answer right away, but when he sees my brow creasing he decides it's best to tell me.

IT TAKES ME TWENTY minutes to get to the spot Bernard indicated me. I stand stone-still when I catch a glimpse of Laurent exiting the shop, talking excitedly with a man. They shake hands and then the man returns inside. I wait until I can no longer see Laurent before I enter the shop.

"Excuse me, sir..."

"Yes?" He replies.

"Is this where I can find paintings made by Laurent Pinard?"

"Oh, yes... Over there," he points. "He has just brought some more."

"I want to buy them all!"

"All?" He asks astounded.

"All..." I murmur, feeling sorry for all the hard work he's put into these paintings just to be able to afford... _me_.

I CHOOSE NOT TO say a word to him regarding the fact that I know about his situation and stash all twenty paintings inside my dressing to avoid him seeing them whenever he comes to visit me.

For the next couple of weeks I accompany him to the studio every day after school and watch him work on the painting with admiration. Even though my love for Christian has not decreased like I had hoped, I cannot help but feel affection for Laurent, his mild, gentle personality drawing me closer to him.

I put my arms around his shoulders from behind and he tenses, his hand with the paintbrush stopping in mid air, a few inches away from the painting. His eyes shoot at me, not used with my sudden display of affection. "My parents are out of town for the weekend. Would you like to sleep over?" I murmur timidly, surprising him even more.

"Seriously?" He asks incredulous.

"Yeah... We can have pizza, watch a movie... stuff..." I whisper, blushing a little.

"Good," I say and give him a quick peck on the lips. "I'll see you later then," I put my coat on and rush home, leaving him gaping after me.

IT'S AROUND SIX PM when I hear the door. Freshly showered and wearing nothing but a sleeveless t-shirt and some shorts, I quickly scan the place to make sure everything is nice and clean before I unlock the door and invite him inside.

Laurent is beaming at me, holding a large bouquet of red roses. "Hey..."

"Hi," I smile coyly and accept the flowers. "You shouldn't have... really..." I mess his hair playfully and then go in search of a vase.

"Why not? I like bringing you flowers," he says, taking his jacket and shoes off.

I grin. "You must be hungry," I giggle when he nods and lead him to the dining table. "The pizza has just arrived," I say and serve him. "Can you open the bottle of wine for me, please? I haven't had a drink in ages."

"Sure," he accepts with a smile on his face. "How come your parents went away?"

"They needed to escape for a couple of days, I guess. They get bored if they sit too long in one place without having anything to do."

"I'm... surprised... that you wanted me to come and sleep over," he murmurs.

"Laurent... I... You've been so nice to me and you've kept your promise to wait for me and haven't tried anything since. I decided to give you a chance and see how it goes. Please be patient with me, though. I... I'm still not good," I grumble.

"I know," he takes my hand and kisses it. "It's ok... I can wait for as long as you need," he smiles, looking happy that I agreed to allow him closer to me.

After a pizza and a glass of wine we retreat into my room and cuddle in bed to watch TV.

"You'll let me sleep in your bed?" He asks innocently.

"Yes, silly. You can stay," I say, eliciting a grin from him.

Slowly and cautiously, as if testing the waters, he approaches me. I blink several times and grab him by the back of his head and pull him closer, giving him permission to kiss me. His hungry lips devour mine, letting me know just as much he had craved for this kiss. Before I know it he is on top of me, his body pressed against mine, while our mouths and tongues move together in a sensual kiss that sets us on fire.

He yanks his blouse and t-shirt off before returning to our desperate kissing, soft moans escaping him at the contact with my playful tongue.

I writhe beneath him when his hand sneaks under my t-shirt all the way up to my breast, feeling it in his palm. A mental image of Christian suddenly appears, causing me to shudder and push him away. "No..." I sniff. "I can't do this," I whine, running my fingers through my hair embarrassed.

"Hey, it's ok. It's my fault. You told me be patient and look what I'm doing... I'm so sorry, Ana... I got carried away," he apologized, pulling his blouse back on.

"I'm sorry," I whisper and hide into his arms.

He embraces me dearly, his lips kissing my hair. "One step at a time," he says softly and I feel like crying. _Why can't I forget you, Christian? Why?_

I sleep in his embrace that night, moved by how understanding and calm he is.

* * *

By the end of November our relationship is stronger, but I am still not ready to make love to him. It surprises, but also pleases me the fact that he never asks for it, even though I know that he secretly desires it.

"Ana, I made it! My painting was accepted into the exposition!" He exclaims one morning as soon as I open the door.

"Laurent, that's great!" I beam and he lifts me off the floor before he kisses my lips.

"Come on, get ready... You can finally see it finished," he grins.

"I'm allowed to see it now?" I tease him, laughing.

"Hurry," he grins and steals another kiss before I disappear inside my room.

WE TAKE A CAB to school and I find myself smiling from ear to ear, infected by his sheer excitement.

"I am proud of you," I say and kiss his cheek.

"I wouldn't have done it without you," he smirks. As soon as we arrive he takes my hand and hurries inside.

An overpowering feeling, an odd sensation that I cannot place takes over me the moment we step into the large exposition room. It all becomes crystal clear when, standing in front of Laurent's painting, I spot the man whom I haven't stopped loving, the man who had caused me so much pain and suffering.

"Christian," I whisper to myself, my knees almost failing me when our eyes meet, silent tears falling down my cheeks.

**END OF PART TWO**


	10. Chapter 10

****_Author's note: Hi, guys! I am sorry for the delay, but I've been really busy lately and didn't have time to write. I hope you enjoy this extra long chapter, though._

_Emily_

* * *

**PART 3 - REUNITED  
**

_Ana's POV_

* * *

**CHAPTER ONE**

* * *

A MILLION THOUGHTS RUN through my mind as I stare at him in disbelief. _What is he doing here? How on Earth did he manage to find me?_ My first impulse is to rush into his arms and lose myself in him, but I quickly shake it off, memories of his betrayal making me feel sick. A part of me desperately wants him back, while the other wishes it could vanish before the pain becomes too strong and unbearable.

Christian's expression softens when he sees me and a deep sense of relief seems to have taken over him. He looks changed, different from the tough Christian I know, and the dark circles under his eyes, loss of weight and the visible redness of his eyes make me realize that he has suffered just as much as I did.

He opens his mouth but no words come out, frantically searching me with his gaze, as if trying to convince himself that it's really me who he sees.

I panic when he moves closer, his arms widening to receive me and I instinctively step back, trying to subdue my throbbing heart and avoid caving in to him.

My reluctance to reunite with him stops him in his tracks and he turns from worried to appalled when he finally acknowledges Laurent's presence and notices our tangled hands. Christian's startled eyes shoot back at me questioningly and I can feel Laurent tensing by my side when I try to free my hand, refusing to let go of it.

"Is this him? That Christian?" He spits, annoyed.

"Let me go," I sniff, desperate to get out of there.

"Ana!" Christian exclaims, causing me to whimper. He strides over, determined to take me in his arms, but Laurent steps in front of me and blocks him. "Get the hell out of my face!" He barks, trying to look past him.

"You! After everything you did to her, you still have the nerve to show up and unsettle her again?" Laurent snaps at him, just as angry and outraged. "Have you any idea what she's been through because of you?"

Everything happens too fast for my brain to register what goes on and the next thing I know Christian grabs him by his collar and pins him to the nearest wall with a force much greater than I thought he was capable of.

"Don't you dare judge me! You have no idea what went on, so mind your own business! Who the hell are you anyway?" Christian yells at him, causing everyone in the room to stop and stare.

"Christian, let him go!" I mutter upset, worried that he'd hurt him. "Stop it!" I scold him and grab his arm to pull him back. A weird electrical current flows through my body the moment I touch him and I'm forced to let go, dismayed by the overpowering sensations that the mere connection produced me.

He shudders and releases him, his arms wrapping around me in an instant, pressing me against him so hard that I can barely breathe. "Baby..." his voice breaks, sending shivers down my spine as I sit motionless, battling my heart's desire to reunite with him and my brain's vehement wish to run for the hills. "Ana... My lovely Ana," he whispers teary, running his fingers through my hair, the fierce battle within me making me feel both physically and emotionally drained as I sob uncontrollably. He gently takes hold of my chin and tilts my head back, forcing me to look at him. "I have died a thousand times since you left me, Ana..." he sniffs and leans to kiss me.

I snap out of the trance when I guess his intentions. "No!" I protest and fight him off, aware of the fact that I'd be completely lost if I let him kiss me. To my relief he frees me and I turn around aiming for the door, only to find it blocked by Alex, Tom, Caroline and Hailey. "Alex..." I whisper bemused, taken aback by their sudden appearance.

"Oh, Ana...thank God you're here," he murmurs as he approaches me.

I welcome his warm, familiar bear hug and return it, weeping in his arms. "Why, Alex? Why did you find me? Why did you bring him here? You know what he did to me," I admonish him saddened.

"Yes, I know...but you don't...Ana, I am not going to let you go until you listen and allow him to explain."

"No–"

"Oh, yes...and once you do hear him out, I assure you that you'll want to kick yourself for putting both of you through this misery for such a long time."

"What? So it's my fault now?" I mutter, stepping away from him. "Don't defend him, Alex...please...don't..."

"He's innocent, Ana... And we're not leaving this place without you! So whether you like it or not, you're going to listen to him!" Tom says firmly, crossing his arms.

"Leave her alone! All of you!" Laurent says angrily and pulls me against his chest protectively.

"Excuse me, who the hell did you say you were?" Christian asks, fuming with anger.

"I'm her–"

"Laurent is my best friend here. The one who helped me forget about my pain and try to go on with my life without you in it!" I reply to Christian, frowning at him.

Laurent's arms tense around me and I can tell he's upset that I did not let him inform them about the true nature of our relationship, but I simply cannot deal with that right now, desperate to avoid Christian launching himself at his throat again.

"Wait a minute!" Christian says, his brow creasing suddenly. "You're the guy in the old man's drawing! Yes...it's you...it was a drawing of you two! I thought it resembled you, but I couldn't be sure since your hair was so...different..." he mutters, staring at my hair.

"You saw that?" I blink, remembering the copy that we left behind because we were in a hurry to get to out dinner reservation in the Eiffel Tower.

He sighs. "Ana, I need to talk to you..."

"I don't want to talk to you," I murmur. "I came here to see his painting and that's what I'm going to do." I walk over to the painting and stop in front of it, overwhelmed by the multitude of contradictory feelings that I am experiencing at the moment.

"Of course," his voice sounds behind me, making me flinch. "Now I know why it attracted my attention. It's a painting of you. Those are your eyes and that is definitely your smile..." he says, placing his hands on my hips.

"Don't..." I sniff, fighting to control my emotions.

"Baby, I need to explain. Please come with me and I'll tell you what actually happened," he begs.

I turn around, giving him a menacing look. "I'm not your baby! You lied to me, Christian... It's too late for explanations. I don't trust you anymore. I don't want you anywhere near me, so please just go and let me be. I've suffered enough because of you and all the other jerks that I've met!"

"Ana, let me talk to you," he pleads and envelops me in a tight embrace that I cannot escape.

"Get your filthy paws off her!" Laurent warns him, infuriated by his audacity.

"What's your problem, dude?" Christian frowns at him.

"You'd better stay away and let them talk!" Tom intervenes, not allowing Laurent to approach us.

"For God's sake! Enough!" Hailey erupts out of the blue, surprising us all. She walks to me and gently takes my hand in hers, freeing me from Christian. "We've been desperately looking for you for months because our friend here was slowly fading away and we couldn't watch him destroy himself due to a stupid misunderstanding..."

"Hailey–"

"Shut up, Christian! She needs to hear this at once!"

"I want to do it myself," he tells her and then turns to me. "I am only asking for a chance to explain myself. Whatever decision you may make after that, I will respect it, I promise..."

I sit and stare into those mild eyes for what seems like forever. I am no longer surprised by the powerful effect they have on me and I realize that nothing has changed in this respect. He is still the one that I love and desire, no matter what he did to me, and to my despair the more I try to hide from my own feelings, the faster my heart beats inside my chest, anxious to reunite with his.

"Alright," I whisper eventually, my voice barely audible.

His face illuminates and finally releases the breath he was holding, his broad grin reminding me of all the happy times that we shared and how much I missed his presence, his divine scent and burying myself in his arms.

"Ana?" Laurent grunts confused.

I sigh and approach him. "Laurent...this is something that I've got to do. I need a closure to all this madness. Please don't be mad at me," I whisper. "Talk to you later?"

He nods, looking down to evade me.

I give him a gentle hug, not happy with leaving him alone like this especially now that we were supposed to celebrate his success. Saddened and confused I allow Alex to put his arm around my shoulders and follow everybody to the door, but before exiting the room I turn my head and glance over at a sorrowful Laurent looking at his painting, right where Christian had been when we arrived.

ALEX STOPS AT THE first restaurant he sees and ushers us inside. Not knowing what to expect, I sit at the table that Christian chooses and stare at him blankly, still troubled by his proximity after the five agonizingly painful months that we've been apart. With the corner of my eye I spot the others taking a different table to give us some privacy, though for the first time in my life I wish they did not leave me alone with him.

Christian sighs heavily before he finally speaks. "Before I say anything I would like you to listen to something. Then we can talk. Soon you will understand and hopefully you'll agree to give me another chance," he murmurs quietly and produces his iPod from his jacket.

"Christian...I'm in no mood for music right now," I reply disconcerted.

"If only it were music. Go ahead," he prompts.

I reluctantly accept it and stick the earphones inside my ears before he hits play. A low whimper escapes my lips and sheer panic springs through me when I recognize Jessica's voice. "What is this?" I mutter upset and try to pull the earphones out, but he is faster than me and grabs my hands to prevent me from doing so, forcing me to continue to listen. My face contorts in disgust, but as her conversation with the other woman continues I soon discover that it is a confession of her monstrous plan to hurt Christian and destroy our relationship. Tears prick my eyes as her words sink in and suddenly I feel repulsed. I begin to shake uncontrollably, having an incredibly hard time understanding what kind of a person would do such a horrendous thing like that, the multitude of thoughts going through my head at the same time dizzying me.

He frees me from the torture and patiently waits for my reaction, but I cannot figure out what to say to him. It takes me a few minutes before I even dare to look at him, his once luminous eyes now lifeless and sad gazing at me through his long eyelashes.

"A detective managed to record a conversation she had with a friend and sadly for her she confessed everything that her diabolic mind was able to conceive," he answers my unspoken question. "You don't know...the Hell...that I've been through...since you left. The thought of never holding you in my arms again...was the most excruciating and impossible to bear. Ana..."

I hide my face in my palms and break down despite my intense efforts to remain calm and find a way to handle the situation. His steady arms curl around me in a protective, soothing way, but I'm too broken to find any kind of solace in his embrace. _What have you done, Ana? _I ask myself over and over again, enraged with that viper for allowing her to play me as she pleased and for the enormous sufferance and insensible way she has treated Christian along the years.

"I need...I need to be alone," I sob, chocked by the pang of guilt that slowly engulfs me.

He shivers when he hears me and only tightens his embrace. "I am never leaving you out of my sight again. Please don't ask me that," he pleads. "I can't, I won't, no!" He refuses, stubbornly pulling me closer to him. "You can't get rid of me," his voice breaks, making me feel worse, if possible. "I need to talk to your parents. They probably hate me. Let me come with you. I'm begging you," he whispers taking my face in his hands, desperate to make eye contact.

The gentle, almost imperceptible nod that I give him is everything he needs and his mood changes from devastated to hopeful in less than a split second. His lips cover every inch of my face, but I'm too emotionally drained to react to him.

"Oh, thank God!" Tom exclaims behind us, causing me to flinch. "You two stubborn mules managed to drive us all insane. "I hope you know now how wrong you were, Ana."

"Don't nag her, Tom," Christian frowns. "I wasn't honest to her about that night. I have my own share of guilt. I was afraid to tell you because I knew how much you despised her and the prospect of having slept with her even unwillingly would have devastated you. I chose not to tell you and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," he whispers teary.

"You two keep hiding things from each other because you're preoccupied with sparing one another from unpleasant situations. But things don't go like that in a relationship," Alex says, taking a seat at our table. "You guys are both so young and madly in love. You'll grow in time and see things differently. No matter how much you try to protect the other, being truthful is always the best solution to avoid distress. That will only solidify your trust and bring you closer. And by no means take off before you hear the other side of the story," he murmurs mildly, eyeing me intently. When I look down, unable to sustain his gaze, he moves closer to me and kisses my cheek. "We missed you, you know? I can't even tell you how many people worked nonstop to find you. You belong with him, Ana..."

THE SILENCE IN THE cab on our way to my place is a little overwhelming for my liking, but I simply cannot bring myself to speak to him. I can feel his profound stare burning my cheek ever since we got into the car and it's causing my heart to pound faster with every passing minute.

His heavy sigh finally makes me look at him and I cannot help but blush when our eyes meet.

"I...I'm a bit worried about meeting your father," he confesses. "I hope he'll give me a moment to explain before launching himself at my throat. We both know how protective he is of you."

"Don't worry," I murmur coyly. "I'll make him listen."

"What's with the new hairstyle?" He asks a moment later.

"You hate it?"

"No. You're still my sweet Ana, no matter what you do to your hair," he says, giving me his boyish grin that always caused my heart to flutter in my chest.

"You...look different too," I notice.

"Yeah, well...I had no reason to be happy so I neglected a lot of things. But I'd rather not talk about that. I am extremely thankful that I found you. It was all that I craved and prayed for."

THE BABBLE COMING FROM the TV lets me know that my parents are probably enjoying a movie together so I approach them cautiously, followed by Christian.

"Dad," I murmur when I find him sitting alone.

He turns to me, but his broad grin quickly dissipates and his eyes widen when he spots him behind me. "What the hell is he doing here?" He asks, sitting up.

"What is it, Ray?" Mom rushes from the kitchen, almost dropping the plate she's holding at the sight of him. "Christian?" She blinks perplexed, staring from me to him as she awaits an explanation.

"Hello," he greets them politely, bracing himself for their imminent outburst.

"Both of you calm down please. I made a huge mistake by running away and I sure paid for it. Just have them hear the tape, Christian. They'll figure out on their own what a fool I've been," I sigh defeated and most of all embarrassed with him and with my parents for dragging them to the other side of the world because I was childish enough to fall into that sly woman's trap.

Nobody speaks for what seems like forever after they finally listen to her confession. The accumulated tension weighs on me to the point that I feel like locking myself into my room and crawling in bed, alone with my guilt.

"I don't know what to say. Except that I told you to talk to him before making a decision," Dad grumbles dismayed. "I believe you two have some things to sort out. I'll go call Carrick and apologize for disappearing for so long."

"Dad, I'm sorry," I whisper teary.

He walks over and hugs me tight. "This is what happens when you let other people come in between you. I'm sure you've both learned your lessons and will not make the same mistakes again," he says and releases me after kissing my forehead.

I nod and slowly head toward my room, eager for some time on my own to think.

"Ana?" Christian calls, his voice pleading me to stay.

"You should go. I'll call you when I'm ready to talk," I murmur.

"I am not leaving! I'll sleep on the floor, I don't care. Just stop sending me away. Now that I finally found you I cannot stand being away from you," he says, wrapping his arms around me from behind.

I close my eyes to hold back the tears, melting in his warm embrace that I dreamed of for so long.

"You can have the couch, dear," Mom says, taking pity on him.

"Thank you," he murmurs grateful, still not letting go of me. His soft lips brush my neck and I shiver against him. "I'll be waiting for you," he whispers in my ear before he eventually frees me.

I SPEND A SLEEPLESS night, shifting in bed from one side to another, unable to stop blaming myself for the misery I caused to my loved ones and ultimately to myself. Since Rover chose to spend the night with Christian on the living room couch, I have no one to comfort or distract me, so I use the time to reassess my feelings. It doesn't take long before I come to the conclusion that my love for him is as strong and intense as it's always been, and the mere fact that he's right outside my door makes the butterflies in my stomach return, my body springing to life, igniting the passion deep within me.

It is yet a little dark outside when I sneak out of my room and approach the couch on my tiptoes. Hugging my favorite sweater and having my cat resting next to him, Christian still looks troubled and rather vulnerable in his sleep. I run my fingers gently through his hair before I head to the kitchen to fix myself something to eat. As I sit and eat my food in silence I decide to skip a couple of days at school until I figure out what to do with him and Laurent.

"Morning," Christian says softly, distracting me from my thoughts.

"Hey...take a seat. Are you hungry?"

"A little, I guess..."

I nod and quickly serve him too.

He grabs my hand and pulls me on his lap before I can react. "I missed you so bad. I honestly felt that my life was meaningless without you. Nothing made sense to me anymore. The emptiness you left behind was nothing that I've experienced before and I certainly hope it will never occur to me again, because I don't think I'd resist it."

"I don't think I can either," I confess, chewing at my lip to control my emotions.

"Can you forgive me?" He murmurs, hopeful that we could put everything behind and start all over.

"Can you?"

"I've already forgiven you, my love," he whispers, leaning in for a kiss.

My cell phone distracts us and I freeze when I see it's Laurent probably calling to check on me.

Christian tenses and his brow furrows when he too spots his name on the display.

I decide not to answer it, still not sure what to say or how to explain this tangled situation to him, and turn it off once it stops ringing.

"What's with this guy, Ana?" He sighs, worried.

I run my hand through my hair, trying to find the right words. "Laurent...he's my best friend. I mean...he was like a balm to my soul. Always friendly, energetic, full of life...he never asked for anything and was respectful and kind. He helped me a lot throughout this entire time. Then...he developed feelings for me. I kept the distance, but after a while I decided to give him a chance. I was so mad at you and he was such a nice guy. I don't know why I did it. He was good to me and I hoped he'd help me forget you," I murmur, looking away.

He grabs my chin and turns my face to him. "Did you...sleep with him?" He mutters hoarsely.

"No...no...I couldn't. We never went that far," I assure him, fisting my hand around his T-shirt.

"Do you have feelings for him?"

"I love him. But not like I love you. I've never loved anybody the way that I love you. It's impossible," I whisper, putting my arms around his neck.

He blinks several times, as if gathering his thoughts. "Can you please tell me why you left without hearing me out?"

"I came to bring you lunch at the office that day and found you with Jess," I say after a moment of silence. "When I saw your reaction to the pregnancy news I was crushed. You looked as if someone had punched you in the stomach and that now how somebody who was innocent would react. I just couldn't deal with it. I've been let down too many times by men and being let down by you too was too much for me. I had to go and distance myself from you," I shake my head tormented.

He kisses my cheek and I lean into his arms, welcoming his warmth. "Alex and Caroline moved in with me to make sure I behaved well. I owe so much to them. I was a mess but they kept me from losing myself."

"He's amazing and I'm glad that he was there to take care of you. It should have been me defending you from that witch."

"Stop torturing yourself. We've had enough. Let's try to forget about this and start over, without repeating the same mistakes just like your father said."

WE SPEND THE ENTIRE day in my room catching up and playing with Rover, who seems to be very happy to see Christian. Time flies by so fast and before we know it it's dinner time and we agree to meet the others to eat somewhere. The joy in their eyes when they see us entering the restaurant holding hands is hard to explain and I'm thankful to them for everything they did for him and especially for not being mad at me because of my mistake.

Christian stubbornly refuses to return to the hotel with them and joins me back home after spending a lovely evening in their company.

"Hi, kids. How was it?" Mom beams at us when we arrive.

"Relieving," I murmur. "I missed them all so much. It's good to have them back into my life."

She smiles and kisses me before going to bed.

Christian accommodates himself on the couch and I lean closer to give him a quick peck. He captures my lips with his and prolongs the kiss.

"Hey, behave..." I smile timidly. "Good night."

"Good night, Ana."

I get in bed after changing into my pajamas but over two hours pass and I'm still wide awake, once more having a hard time falling asleep. As silent as possible, I leave my room to get a glass of milk, but as soon as I open the door Christian sits up on the couch and looks at me.

"Can't sleep?" I whisper, moving closer.

"No. Sometimes I have nightmares of you walking away and–"

"Come," I cut him off and take his hand in mine, leading him to my room.

"You're allowing me into your bed?" He grins from ear to ear, infecting me with his excitement.

"Yes, I am. If it's the only way we'll get some sleep," I murmur and cuddle in his arms as soon as we get under the covers.

He kisses my forehead and squeezes me gently. "Heaven," he whispers satisfied. "I want you to come home with me, Ana."

"School ends in December. I can't leave until then."

"That's another month. Well...they'll deal with the businesses somehow. I am not leaving this place without you," he says firmly.

"Christian, it's ok. I'll wait for you. Don't neglect your work."

"No way...I am not leaving you here with that guy," he replies, sounding worried and most of all jealous.

"Damn! I totally forgot about him. I need to talk to him and explain. I hate to make him suffer. He doesn't deserve this," I complain.

"This is why I cannot leave you alone. Wherever you go there are men falling at your feet," he says, holding me tighter.

"Too bad they're not you. You're the only one I want," I whisper and soon manage to drift.

I open my eyes in the morning, feeling refreshed after having had the most peaceful sleep in months, and find him watching over me, his fingers slowly combing through my hair. I smile at the sight of him and he reciprocates.

"Christian, did you sleep at all?"

"A little. I found greater pleasure in watching you sleep. I lost count of how many times I went to bed wishing for this."

I look at him moved and give him a sweet kiss that he gladly returns_. How could I live for so long without these lips? How could I resist not sleeping in his arms? _What a nightmare my life has been since he was no longer in it.

"Before you left there was something that I planned to do but never got the chance. I cannot think of a better moment than this to ask you what I was dying to ask all along."

"What is it?" I blink confused.

He takes a deep breath before he opens his mouth to speak. "Marry me, Ana!"

I gape at him, taken aback by his unexpected proposal.

From beneath the pillow he produces a stunning diamond ring that takes my breath away the moment my eyes lay on it.

I cannot stop the happy tears from falling as my fantasy ever since I was little is finally becoming reality. After all that I've been through the past months I could not picture experiencing a greater happiness that this. "Yes! Yes, I'll marry you!" I reply excitedly and his face erupts into a broad smile, mirroring mine.

He skillfully slides the ring on my finger before we lose ourselves in an avalanche of passionate kisses, desperately undressing each other, consumed by desire. He rolls his naked self on top of me and traps me, his hands holding my wrists on either side of my head as he hungrily devours my mouth.

My legs spread willingly to accommodate him, but he takes his time to explore my body as if he were doing it for the first time. His lips move to my neck and leave a trail of gentle bites all the way down to my breasts, which he admires approvingly.

I arch my back, inviting him closer and he doesn't think twice before launching himself at them, taking them in his mouth one by one, sucking and tugging hard, causing me to squirm and groan, anxious to have him so intimately close to me. He doesn't stop at my chest and makes his way south, determined to savor every bit of me. I yelp when his tongue deftly caresses my sensible flesh and he finally releases my wrists to push my thighs further apart. My hand fists in his hair and I throb whenever he playfully sinks his teeth into my core, eliciting more moans from me that only encourage him to continue with his sweet torture.

"Christian...come..." I plead and gently pull at his hair, but he refuses to stop, clearly enjoying himself too much to let go of his prize so soon. I stare at him wide-eyed as his mouth leaves me just when I'm about to come, but his boyish grin makes it impossible for me to scold him.

He eagerly positions himself above my overheated, sensitive body and is about to enter me when I stop him.

"What's wrong?" He blinks.

"I...I stopped taking the pill long ago," I flush.

"Oh...right...the pill," he murmurs, looking like a child whose favorite toy was snatched away from him.

"But I have condoms in my bedside table," I add quickly, letting him know that we can still be together.

He smiles victoriously and quickly looks for one inside the drawer. "Wait...I hope these were not intended for you and Laurent," he worries.

"Mom put them in there," I reply with utmost sincerity. "I told her I didn't need them, but you know what she's like. She said that in case I ever needed one it would spare me from the embarrassment of asking her for some like that time on the island," I roll my eyes. "I wished that I could use them, but I couldn't. I couldn't sleep with him because all I could think of was you."

"I'm glad to hear that. From now on I'll make sure that nobody touches you, but me."

"No one could touch me like you do," I assure him, moving closer. I take the condom from his hand and rip the foil with my teeth, but before putting it on I stoke him gently along his entire length, his soft moans reigniting the fire deep within me.

He carefully pushes me back onto the bed and this time I allow him to slip inside, my inner muscles expanding to accommodate him. Our groans mingle, our bodies welcoming that sweet, intimate connection that they so desperately missed. He begins to thrust in and out, slowly at first, then fast and fierce as if unable to control his own actions. My arms wrap around his neck when he lowers himself on me to kiss me, silencing my screams before my parents could hear me. Violently thrusting his hips into me, he struggles to pace himself, wishing he could prolong the inevitable, but it doesn't take much longer until I realize it's time as he suddenly halts and buries his face in the pillow next to my head to squelch his roars of satisfaction. My release is as mind-blowing as his, my body shuddering as wave after wave of pleasure hit me, making my head spin.

I hold him lovingly against my chest until our breathing normalizes and he carefully moves to my side, breaking the sweet connection. I smile coyly when our eyes meet, thankful for the miracle of having the man that I so love and adore back into my life. However, I still cannot escape the guilt of having hurt him so much, but his soothing embrace calms me and helps me not to think about it.

WE LEAVE MY ROOM after sharing a quick shower together, kissing all the way to the kitchen where we find my parents. Dad lifts his gaze from the newspaper he's reading and shakes his head at us knowingly, his playful smile making me blush. Mom grins at us as well while she busies herself with our breakfast.

"I'm glad you could sort things out," Dad says before returning to his lecture, and we sit down at the table, displaying our most innocent looks but fooling no one.

"There, the food is ready," Mom sings happily and serves us all.

We begin to eat the delicious food, but soon my parents begin to exchange nervous, curious looks that I only understand when their eyes fall on my left hand. I follow their gaze and discover my engagement right.

I flush and stick to Christian. "Yes, it's an engagement ring. We got engaged. He asked me to marry him this morning," I say, confirming their suspicions.

"Oh my God! Congratulations, dears!" Mom sits up and rushes to hug us both, getting extremely emotional before I can even open my mouth to thank her.

"I hope you'll take good care of each other from now on. Congratulations," Dad says, trying to maintain his composure, but I can tell he's just as moved by our engagement.

"Thank you, guys..." I murmur and embrace him too.

"I promise that I will never again allow anybody to come in between us," Christian says, kissing my hand with affection.

"So do I," I whisper and lean into his arms.

"Oh, who could it be at this hour?" Mom asks when the doorbell rings and heads to the door. "Laurent! Wait–" she exclaims when he bursts inside, looking for me.

"Ana," he mutters, stunned to find me in his arms.

Christian tightens his embrace, frowning at him, getting in the jealous, overprotective mood.

"It's ok," I whisper to him until he agrees to release me. I approach Laurent, ashamed for not contacting him sooner.

"What happened to you? You refuse to return my calls, turn your phone off, skip school..." he blinks bemused.

I sigh. "We need to talk..."

"You bet we do," he mutters upset.

"Ana..." Christian says, reluctant to let me go with him.

"I'll be back soon," I assure him and put my boots and jacket on before following Laurent out. We go for a long walk and I explain to him everything that happened and how I misjudged the whole situation and accused him for something that never happened.

"He still lied to you," he murmurs, his voice barely audible and my heart clenches in my chest when I feel his pain.

"Laurent...my dear Laurent...after hearing what that horrible woman did to him, to us, I simply do not care about that anymore. We both have our share of guilt and it's kept us separated for over five months. I hate myself for hurting you, but I love him. I've always loved him and no matter how much he may hurt me, it will always be him that my heart chooses. I'm sorry that I gave you hopes. If I had met you before him, maybe things would have been differently, but I cannot change the way I feel for him," I say, wishing I could find a way to avoid causing him pain.

"Ana...I love you so much that all I want is you to be happy. If that means letting you go, then I have no choice but to do so. Please don't let him or anyone else play with your feelings again," he whispers hoarsely.

I give him a warm, tight hug, biting my lip as I struggle not to cry. "I'm so thankful for meeting you. You are one of a kind, Laurent. Please don't change. Ever...I will never forget all the things you've done for me. Promise me that you'll always be my friend," I sniff.

"Always," he replies, returning my embrace. "I saw the ring."

I shiver and release him. "Are you mad?"

"No. Why would I be? It means you're happy," he murmurs, looking down. "You're not coming back to school?"

"Of course I am. I'll finish this semester, but I'm going back home after that. I promise I will help you win a scholarship at UCLA. If you're still interested," I say softly.

"Oh, yes! I want that...I really do..."

I smile and hug him once again. "I love you, my sweet friend."

A DISTURBED CHRISTIAN GREETS me as soon as I walk through the front door, his big worried eyes and messy hair startling me.

"Did you change your mind?" He asks before I get to open my mouth and find out what is wrong with him.

"Oh..." I smile wolfishly.

"What?" He blinks alarmed.

"Of course not, silly!" I giggle.

"Thank God you came. He's been driving me insane, pacing up and down the apartment, wondering if you're going to change your mind or not," Dad says, rolling his eyes amused.

Christian's cheeks turn red as he pulls me to him. "What did he say?"

"He understands how I feel about you and wants me to be happy," I say and feel his tension slowly dissipating, his stiff body relaxing against mine. "You have nothing to worry about."

"We should invite Alex and the others to come have dinner with us and celebrate your engagement," Mom beams.

"Yes. That would be nice," I agree and give Christian a passionate kiss that completely sweeps him off his feet.

THE EXPLOSION OF HAPPINESS coming from our friends at the news of our engagement, seals the wound and my heart finally feels normal again, the pressure in my chest no longer present. I can breathe and love and be with the man who was destined to be mine, just like I was destined to be his.

"This is how I want to see you from now on. Happy and together," Alex says, taking a break from engorging himself with mom's delicacies. "You are not going to marry only my best friend, but all of us. If one of us suffers, we all do. And believe me we've suffered these five months enough for a lifetime. To Ana and Christian!" He says, raising his glass of champagne and the others quickly follow him, beaming at us.

"Thank you guys for not giving up on me and for being such amazing friends," I murmur touched and move to Christian's lap, needing his warmth.

"I love you, sweetheart!" He grins, covering my face in soft kisses.

"I love you more!" I return his smile and lose myself in his hot, breathtaking kiss.

* * *

**PS: I did not mention him cheating on her because I decided to take that part out of the story. I hope you enjoyed the chapter ;)**


	11. Happy Holidays

**Hello everyone!**

**I'm sorry that I did not update lately, but since I started work I didn't have that much time for writing anymore. I miss it very much. I want you to know that the story is not over yet, so I will do my best to post the next chapter after the New Year's Eve. I can't promise you anything sooner, but I'll try.**

**I wish you all a wonderful Christmas with your families and friends, and may 2013 be better than the last, and bring you lots of happiness in life and fulfill all your dreams!**

_**Emily**_


	12. Announcement

Dear friends,

I am so sorry for disappearing like that. I know I promised I'd update, but things have been really crazy for me lately. I've been working hard on a book that I want to publish, and my editor is waiting for me to finish it and send it to him. Thus, I have focused all my attention on this project. It's a long process, but a very exciting one. I have never felt better!

Also, I am really happy to see that so many of you have not given up on this story and keep sending me messages requesting for more. I miss you guys a lot and I miss this story too. I will come back to it as soon as I publish the one I'm working on now.

I want you guys to know that I would have never got this far without you. Your words of encouragement have motivated me to keep on writing, and now that I'm so close to publishing my very first novel, it feels surreal to me.

I will keep in touch with you and let you know when the book is out, in case you might be interested in checking it out. Until then I wish you all the best. I will forever be grateful to you!

Emily :)


	13. Continuation of the story

Dear all, I have decided to continue this story on my blog. I will post the next chapter tomorrow. Please let me know if you'd be willing to read the story there.

Today I had my first book published. You can stop by my blog and enter the contest to win a free copy. I'd be happy to see you guys there. Let me know what you think. Go to my profile page to see the link to my blog, then copy and paste it in google.

Here's the link to my blog:** emilyalawrence88 .blogspot .ro/**

Take out the spaces and you should be able to get to my blog.

Emily


	14. Book 3 on my blog

Hey, guys. You can read the beginning on the third book on my blog. I will try to add more in a couple of days.

The link to my blog is on my profile. It won't let me post it here. So go to my profile page here on fanfiction and you will find the link to my blog. Once on my blog you will find the story if you click on the fan fiction page.

Thank you all for your support and the lovely messages you've sent me. You made me so happy. I really wanted to continue this and keep in touch with you. I hope you'll enjoy it. :) And you can still enter the contest to win a copy of my book. The winners will be announced on Monday. You can also comment on the story I've just posted for you on my blog and let me know what you think. I always enjoyed hearing from you.

Emily


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